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"Would you prefer five Iwol-hyungs or one five year-old Iwol-hyung?"
While Iwol looked irritated at his answer, Seongbin knew he made the right choice.
Just imagining five different Iwols running around everyday, each lying and replacing each other to sleep as little as possible made his blood level rise.
Seriously, that hyung needed rest. And he will make sure he does get rest.
But somehow, it made him wonder... How would a five years old Iwol act? A little-mini me? A goody-two shoes?
Did kid Iwol-hyung even slept? Or was he born a robot?
Of couse, Seongbin noticed with time that somehow.. somthing was wrong with his hyung's past. He never mentionned it first, and the feeling was..off when he did talk about it.
It wasn't his face or expressions that gave it away. It's just the same feeling he felt when his parents came over.
Like he was hiding something, or that he felt truly, really uncomfortable. So, as an unspoken alliance, the Spark members tried to minimize to a maximum family matters in front of their two eldest.
If it meant even, just a little, reducing their stress, then they'd do it without a second thought.
But maybe that was a mistake.
——
The day started a little unusally from the very start.
Cheonghyeon slept well, as always. That wasn't the problem. As one of their extremely rare days off, he didn't even try to set up an alarm.
But, as they say, habits die hard and he woke up at around 10.
Ouch. That meant he'd slept 4 hours total.
"...That's still more than 0!", he murmured happily, getting down from his bed.
As always, he walked in front of Iwol-hyung's meticulously well-done bedding—wait.
"The comforter isn't tucked in? Is he sick?"
There were two constants in Cheongyeon's life.
First, his love for Sparklers. They made it possible for him to live his dreams, to continue smiling and producing music everyday. They were one his solace.
Then, it was his love for Spark itself. Every single member mattered to him.
Kiyeon, his longest friend. The one that pushed him for this path, and showed him true joy.
Joowoo-hyung, his comrade-in-arm. He shared his love for music—albeit rock—more profundly than anyone else.
Seongbin's hyung, the supreme leader. Without him, and his gently reassurance, Cheongyeon wouldn't have become the man he is today.
Jeho hyung's that tsundere. He's probably scoff if he'd hear that, but after Kiyeon told him what it meant, it was absolutely true. He knew that Jeho secretly and discretfully tried to change in his own way, all for the members.
And finally' Iwol-hyung. The one that truly saved him, gave him a boat and a map in the endless ocean, and the man he admired, not-so-secretly.
Finally, the last constant was Iwol-hyung's robotic, cyborgesc lifestyle. He's like the k variable in math, never changing, living the same day, day after day.
He looked content working and then working again.
Also, that made three constants. But well, the most important thing right now was that Spark's eldest actually broke his minute-timed routine. He had never, ever, done that before.
Was he sick? Did he run somewhere? Was he rushed to the hospital???
Scanning the room, half panicked, he noticed that Jeho-hyung also wasn't there.
??? What happenned???
He rushed into the living room, only to find out that everyone was living life as of normal.
"Do anyone know where Iwol-hyung is?" he said hastily, forgoing any greeting.
Kiyeon, who was doing the dishes, glanced at him confused— "Wasn't he sleeping? He didn't go out of your room at all, and since he sleeps so lightly, we didn't want to wake him up."
"He wasn't here, and his beddings weren't done."
Joowoo-hyung, his face paling by the minute, uttered "What ?.. But I'm sure that he didn't get out.."
Seongbin-hyung took the lead and directly asked Jeho-hyung if he noticed Iwol-hyung when he woke up.
And the answer was... very typical of Spark's snake.
"I didn't notice. I go out as fast as possible in the morning to not get nagged."
Panic started to really take hold, both because it was unusual of their eldest to do and because of his illness, when they heard a loud sound from their shared bedroom.
——
Albeit calm in the surface, everybody knew Jeho was stlightly shaken by the event as well.
That bastard Iwol really disliked taking care of himself. His self-sacrificing habits were definitely annoying, but even he—as oblivious has he is— knew how it could've formed.
His older sister was the exact same, after all. If Iwol's childhood was even remotely similar as his, then the hypothesis was almost guaranteed to succeed.
Anyways, when they cautiously, slowly, made their way to his bedroom, they didn't expect to meet... that.
This time, he was the one who lead the others. If anything intruded their home, he was the most capable of fighting the ennemy.
He slowly opened the door to find—
a mini, clearly underfed, Kim Iwol. It was without a shadow of doubt him, his facial features and his paleness all exacty the same.
It seems he was trying to eavesdrop their conversation before Jeho slammed the door open and stlarted him, which made him scurry away on backward.
"Huh—?" "Is that—?" "Iwol-hyung?"
All the members could do was express their shock, gasping, their voice half gone, not trying to overwhelm the kid but not being able to process what they saw.
But that just made mini-Iwol (?) even more scared.
Before they could make any movement, he was back on his feet and running towards their closet, and then slammed it shut.
What the hell just happened?
——
After a full thirty seconds of not being to think, Kiyeon was finally able to regain his bearings—somewhat at least.
All members were looking at each other in shocked silence, and his idiot friend Cheongyeon even rubbed his eyes, like he didn't know if it was real.
In fact, even he himself started to doubt reality.
Was that.. a five-year old Iwol-hyung? Is that even possible?
However, that trance-like stance completely shattered when Cheongyeon put a finger to his mouth in a shushing motion, beckoning them to listen.
Although very, extremely faint, they could all hear muffled sobs. As if the kid didn't want to hear them.
Hearing that, and looking at each other as if they could speak with only their eyes, they moved in front of the room, if only to give kid Iwol-hyung privacy.
"What.. are we supposed to do?" Cheongyeon asked first. It seemd like that really shaked him up, as he was agitated.
"I... don't know. We need to get him out of here." Seongbin replied "He needs to eat. He was so—"
Joowoo's lips were trembling as he spoke. None of them missed the implications. No kids should like that. His arms were as thing as twings, so unlike their usual, strong eldest.
It was so weird. How could that unshaken pillar—who was so perfect everyday— look like.. that?
Kiyeon always had anxiety. He knew that, and he used Iwol-hyung's strength as a anchor to keep himself afloat.
Surely, someone as strong as him knew how to handle it all—but did this strength come from necessity?.. Was he made to be like that?
If his parents starved him and neglected him... did they also hi—?
"I'm going to try to get him out." No one in Spark had a friendly face as to say, but even then, sending Jeho-hyung, the hyung even he, a seventeen-year old only barely started to understand made him somewhat uneasy.
It seems he wasn't the only one thinking that way, but Jeho continued "I know most how to take care of kids. And.. he reminds me of someone."
But then, this impromptu vulnerability made even Kiyeon stop in his track. He couldn't get a word after that. It was only when Cheongyeon, the team's mood-maker, agreed not-so-enthusiasticakly, and tried to usher them to another room, that he could muster the courage to nod at Jeho-hyung. Not reassurances, or soft spoken words, but a nod.
Jeho-hyung eyes showed almost-suprise, but he nodded back. Maybe after that day, the prickly duo would get along a little better.
——
Back to the present though, that totally failed. Joowoo was waiting anxiously on the sofa with the remaining members when Jeho entered the room.
He never got out.
Instead, they heard a groan and, almost a lightening-speed was Iwol-hyung child-version running head-on to the sofa.
However, the entrance room was in the totally opposite direction, and he didn't know what to do.
Standing in front of the sofa, it was even more glarantly obvious how neglected he looked. His cheeks were hollow, and his clothes worn-out enough that holes were present here and there.
And he looked terrified. Not just terrified—downright petrified.
And somehow—somehow Joowoo recognized those eyes. These eyes were those of someone who lost, someone who had to live through tragedy.
And it almost made him hurl.
Because he had had those eyes. And more importantly, unbeknown to anyone else, Joowoo could smell it. The metallic scent of blood.
But who would do this—why?
He couldn't afford to be lost in his thoughts for much longer before the kid ran off to one of the curtains, hiding himself behind it.
And then, as if he couldn't be even more shocked to the events that were happening, mini-Iwol started to cry.
No, calling it crying would be an under-statement. He was sobbing full force.
"I-I'm sorry—hic— I don't know what I'm d-doing here."
Hey that wasn't right— "I-I woke up here, sob, b-but I didn't steal anything, I-I promise. I swear!"
Someone should stop him, that wasn't right—but the words couldn't get out, his eyes watering despite himself. Looking around, the other members weren't as better as he was, Cheongyeon was already crying.
Seongbin made a shushing motion and went near the curtain, putting himself to eye-leve as the kid. But he was hidding so throughly behind the thick curtain he couldn't actually see him yet.
"I j-just want my—my— why c-can't I call her? I want her!" his voice was getting more desperate "E-everything hurts and y-you're all scary and big and I h-hurt the big man and n-now you'll hit me back! W-Where am I!!"
Hurt who—why did he think they'd hurt him—what should he do?
His sobbing didn't stop, but then Jeho-hyung came back from the room, and slowly approached Seongbin.
It seems like they planned to do something to extract Iwol-hyung from behind the curtain, but he couldn't see from this angle.
The ravenette then went in the kitchen and came back with.. the only snack in the house? Chocolate? and then give it to Seongbin.
That didn't make Iwol-hyung stop crying, but his voice seemed to lose power. "Hhuhh, hyyik, just don't hit me, please! I-I miss her and I-I c-can't get injured but I cant remember !"
——
How did it come to this?
Seongbin couldn't process what was really happening, but he has to act now. He left the chocolate in front of Iwol-hyung.
Making himself move away from the kid was truly hard, but Jeho-hyung told him to never get into close-contact when the kid didn't initiate it.
He went back near the sofas, seeing Cheongyeon and Kiyeon reassuring themselves and Joowoo looking at his fists, but then started speaking, as gently as he could.
Iwol-hyung always told him he was the spring of Spark. He had to honor that.
"We will not hit, starve or beat you, I promise. We truly only want you happiness—"
He could see the child's hands gripping the curtain even thighter, and he feared he messed up, but Jeho nodded at him.
"And for that we won't force you to do anything. You can remain where you are, or come to me. If you're hungry, I left you a piece of chocolate. You can eat it, and eat even more if you want. I'll stay here, and the others will go to their room, so don't be afraid."
At that, the members understood the cue and left for the same room, not wanting to see the others isolate themselves. But they heard the not-so-discrreet murmur of
"Ch-chocolate? Whaz' that?"
—
It's only after twenty long minutes that mini-Iwol finally makes a move. He stopped crying long ago, but he didn't dare to move.
Slowly, like a stray cat that recieved kindess for the first time, he poked his head out of the curtains. He looked around, only to see Seongbin on the couch, seemingly occupied.
Only then did he cautiously move to take the snack, and eat it all almost instantly.
It was the first time in so so long that he ate sometinh rlse than ramyun—it was so good.
....If he was a good kid. If he didn't upset the scary-looking hyung seating... Could he eat again? He was so hungry all the time.
....
After a loong while, he finally decided. He'd run again if the man was evil, he'll find the exit for sure.
His noona—who was she— always told him he was strong. He will be! This time, he'll be a good child.
He'll clean the whole house if that meant he'll eat again. Maybe the rules are different since he isn't at this parents house?
He doesn’t think about it much. His parents make him sad.
After a little while, still feeling scared, Hyoil decided to move. Slowly but surely, he arrived in front of the man, who was.. writing in a notebook?
He didn't actually had the courage to ask what to do when the man looked at him and smiled.
"Pretty.." he thought, "Hi! Are you feeling better?"
...Hm ? What was that ? "Y-yes." Should he have said no? Will he receive punishment for daring to be good ?
"That's great. Do you want to do something, like reading or watching TV?"
Were that his only choices—he wanted to eat. But it was...nice. The scary-hyung was less scray.. And he didn't know why but it felt like he was with his noona.
He couldn't voice his thoughts because his tummy betrayed him, glurping loudly.
He jumped—startled, knowing he'd get punished for that..
(Kids are to be seen, not heard, ya little brat!)
But the man only laughed quietly, and offered to carry him,
"Let's get you some food, alright?".
And for some reason, Hyiol agreed to be carried. He didn't know why, but he felt like he could trust the other. He wanted to talk to him like he talked to his noona.
.
He was seated on the table when he started to act really naughty—to see when the kindness would shatter, so he asked lots of questions.
"Mister, why are all of you scary looking hyungs living together? Are you in a gang?"
Seongbin scoffed, amused and not annoyed "Where did you learn that word? We're an idol group, that's why."
An idol group... In the playground where he stayed at to avoid his parents, a girl was always talking about a group of idol girls that sang to defeat evil people.
Maybe that's why the hyung is calm. Maybe he defeating his parents, and now they didn't know what to do with him. That's probably why he's here. That'd explain why one of them is a giant.
By Hyiol is a good boy, so he won't tell the older teen that he knows his secret. He'll cheer for them instead.
"Thanks for the service. That's cool. Can you sing?"
"Thanks for the?.." He looked puzzled. "... Well I can sing if you want! But one of my friend sing even better than me, so we could make a duet, if you want."
Two idol superheroes singing did sound cool. He was still scared of meeting two of them at the same time though...
"Us two will be seated at the table, but he'll be by the sofa, is that alright with you? He won't approach us."
With that, Hyoil didn't hesitate anymore.
"...Okay."
.
It was the best meal he had in his life. It was full of... stuff. He couldn't describe it, but it was really really good. Superheroes are really on different levels. Maybe they could help his noona, too?
As promised, the teenager—now he knew to call him Seongbin-hyung, was seated near him, and after a brief moment where he tapped on his cellphone, another one came.
Even if they were all scary, they were pretty.
The teenager looked timidly at him and waved, and he waved back as timidly, still intimidated.
Seongbin-hyung seemed very pleased at the exchange and asked him what song he wanted to hear.
He didn't really know any song. Seeing his distress, the still-unnamed—nicknamed Ice Hero— proposed a lullaby. He accepted quickly, afraid his ignorance would make them mad somehow.
He kept stuffing himself with the plate while they sang, with the instrumentals on the TV. It was really, really good! Good enough that after finishing his plate, he went to sleep without even knowing....
He missed his noona. Where was she?
——–
He didn't know why mini-Iwol relaxed immediately after learning they're idols, but it was easier to coax him to eat and to talk to him.
It seems the lullaby had an effect unknowingly, as he slept right after finishing eating, and they moved him to the sofa, with his head on Seongbin's thighs.
It looks like when he moved him, he didn't want to be separated from him, so they reached this easy compromise. Sleeping so soundly like that, he didn't look like the kid that cried for thirty minutes straight.
They profited of this occasion to change, at the very least, his shirt... And found out the bandages beneath.
..This is its origin...
His eyes darkened. What could've happened for a kid so young to be this hurt?
..... When would the true Iwol come back? Is he stuck like that? How would they do?
Mini-Iwol woke up from his nap thirty minutes after, looking a little disheveled. Still a little hazy from his sleep, he looked around slowly.
But then, Kiyeon and Cheongyeon came out of the room, each holding something in their hands.
It scared the kid bad enough for him to cling into his one source of comfort right now—Seongbin.
He gently reassured the kid, and the two youngest presented the result of their efforts.
A mini-theater? They decorated two socks, now on the hands of Kiyeon, and there was a book—albeit handwritten— in Cheongyeon's hands.
"Ta-da-da-da ! We present to you our very own mini-theater, to please his highnessness Kim Hyoil!"
That seemed to intrigue mini-Iwol.
"This is the story of how six little stars managed to form a star!" proudly affirmed Cheongyeon.
"Is that how your idol group was formed?"
"You're so smart" And child-Iwol seemed to blush at that, not knowing how to answer... He moved away from the leader to look at the "mini-theater."
"Once upon a time... In a desert where every drop of water was as valued of gold....."
——
At the end of the story, the kid was enthralled. He actually smiled, a smile of pure joy, and his cheeks were rosy from excitement.
He clapped, and exclaimed "Wow!! Wow!!"
The two youngest then looked at each other and made a faux, exagerated bow, and that even made him.. laugh quietly.
"Thanks you misters!! That was so fun! The most fun I've ever had, really!"
"It was an honor his highness—uh ness."
Then.. the kid looked sad. Almost.. scared.
Before he could talk, mini-Iwol said "Thanks a lot, mister idols. I never had so much fun. Nobody was as kind as you than my—my..." He almost cried again before continuing, "Really... The food was so good, and-and the song too and the book too. It was my first time eating chocolate, it was soo good! And you're all so cool! I will not forget ! But I need to go now!"
Before he could do anything else, Jeho-hyung came into the picture.
He gently, for him at least, ruffled the kid's hair.
Then, roughly, he told him, "You've done well."
And at that, mini-Iwol smiled, "Thanks, mister! You're cool too." Then, he got up, lightly hugged the members who ruffled his hair or gently patted his shoulders, and ran towards his bedroom—where he appeared, apparently.
"Goodbye misters! Defeat lots of villains", he exclaimed, before slamming the door shut.
Spark could only look at each other and laugh at that, even if their eyes were slighlty red.
—
The day after, Kim Iwol was back, but didn't remember anything.
Nobody told him, in a secret alliance, because they'd knew how he'd react.
But maybe there was more chocolate in the dorm after that day.