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Vernon was relaxing in the living room, sprawled out on the couch, watching his favorite anime and just overall, enjoying the day off. It was quiet in the dorm as everyone was either out doing their own things or hanging out in their rooms. That’s why Vernon startles when he sees Jihoon storming into the dorm with a vexed look on his face. Vernon immediately sits up, looking at his hyung in worry as the older begins to glare at him.
Laughing nervously, Vernon shakily asks, “you okay, hyung? What’s wrong?”
Jihoon gives Vernon an incredulous look. “Seriously Vernon? I know you took it. Just give it back. I don’t have time to go to the store to buy a new one.
Confusion taking over Vernon’s brain, he’s unsure how to reply for a few seconds. “Hyung, I have no idea what you’re talking about. I didn’t take anything of yours. What is it you think I took anyways?”
Huffing in frustration, the glare on Jihoon's face deepens. “My mouse Vernon. My computer mouse! I can’t get any work done without it so just give it back! I know you went in my studio last night looking for your headphones and now my mouse is gone. You were the last one in my studio. I know you took it so just give it back dammit!”
Vernon scoffs in disbelief as he stands up to face his hyung. He can see the outlines of Minghao, Wonwoo, Mingyu and Chan curiously peeking their heads into the living room, coming out of their rooms after having heard the sound of one of their members yelling.
“I didn’t take your mouse, hyung! Why would I even do that? Who randomly takes a computer mouse from someone?!”
“You took it because you knew it would annoy me! That’s all you do lately is annoy everyone with your pranks. Enough is enough Vernon. You need to start growing up. You’re 23-years-old, start acting like it. No one wants to deal with an irresponsible man-child who doesn’t know when to stop irritating his other members.” He glares harder at the cowering boy in front of him, “his presence is exasperating at this point.”
Vernon feels a deep sorrow settling in his heart.
Minghao, Mingyu and Chan are quiet, almost in shock at what their hyung is saying to one of his beloved dongsaengs. After a few seconds, Wonwoo steps up to his dongsaengs, placing, what he hopes is a calming hand, on Jihoons shoulder. “Jihoon, please calm down. If he said he didn’t take it, he didn’t. Look at him hoonie. Does he look like he’s lying?”
Jihoon just brushes off Wonwoo’s shoulder, his glare moves from Vernon to Wonwoo and then the three boys standing at the entrance of the living room. “Oh come on, you guys can’t tell me that you don’t agree that Vernon’s pranks have been super annoying lately. He comes after at least two of us everyday and it’s to the point that I can’t take it. His ‘harmless pranks’ are causing issues in Seventeen’s song production now and I’m done.”
The other four boys don’t meet Vernon’s gaze when he looks at them, hoping that at least one of them will stand up for him.
Nobody says anything to contradict what Jihoon said about his dongsaeng. The sorrow from before has fully taken over. Tears spring to Vernons eyes but he refuses to let them fall. Clenching his jaw, Vernon looks away from his hyungs and only dongsaeng. “If you were all so ‘exasperated by my mere presence’, you should have just told me. Nice to know how you all think about me.” The tears he was trying so hard to hold in fall down his cheeks. He looks at his smallest hyung, “some ‘brothers’ we are, right?’. With that, Vernon pushes past his members. He slides sandals on before sliding out the door, slamming it shut behind him.
The sound of the slamming door shakes everyone out of their stupors. Jihoon grips his hair tightly when he realizes what he said. “Shit shit shit SHIT. I actually just said that. Oh my god, what have I done?” He looks at his other members who look just as helpless as him.
They hear the door opening, all perking up, hoping it’s Vernon. Joshua and Jeonghan make their way into the dorm, not noticing the tension right away. Before they enter the living room, Jeonghan calls out, “Jihoon! I found your mouse in the hallway at the company. You must have dropped it last night when you cam-” Jeonghan’s words immediately cut off when he notices the distraught looks on everyone’s faces. Joshua notices as well, the smile on his face disappearing before he asks, “what’s wrong with you guys?”
Jihoon looks at the wireless mouse in Jeonghan’s extended hand. He dropped it. He dropped the mouse on his way home. He blamed his innocent dongsaeng and said some awful, cruel things.
Meeting his hyungs confused gazes, he proceeds to tell them what happened.
Meanwhile, Vernon doesn’t know where he’s going. He ran out of the dorm building, turned left and just ran as fast as he could away from the people he considered family.
He must have been an interesting sight to passerbys; a young man running as if the devil is on his tail with tears streaming down his face.
They think I’m annoying.
I’m just a burden to them.
I should have known they didn’t want anything to do with me.
THEY DON’T WANT ME.
Vernon makes a move to cross the road, he’s so lost in his self deprecating thoughts that he doesn’t notice a car running a red light and now speeding towards him.
He doesn’t notice the car until he hears the screeching sound in front of him.
The next few seconds are a blur and the only thing Vernon can recognize is he’s on the ground. Excruciating pain is the last thing he feels before the world goes black.
Back at the dorms, everyone has returned back to the dorm. All went out to look for Vernon when they received calls from their brothers, telling them that their dongsaeng ran away after a fight. After two hours of continuous searching, they all returned, all feeling hopeless and scared for their friend.
Seungcheol had called their manager about an hour ago to explain the situation; to say he was angry was an understatement. Both at Vernon for running off and the other five for being so cruel.
It’s another hour before Seungcheol’s phone rings, displaying his manager's name. He shoots forward, quickly answering. The leader is quiet for a few seconds before he shoots up from his spot on the couch, screaming “what?!”
There is pure fear on the leaders' normally calm face. None of the member’s can hear what their manager is saying, only Seungcheol’s replies of “yes- okay- can we go?- where is he?- thank you!”, before he hangs up.
Tears spring to his eyes before quickly pushing them back. Crying won’t help right now. He looks around at his worried and confused dongsaengs. “Vernon was running through an intersection and got hit by a car”, screams and cries of anguish are heard throughout the room, “he’s gonna be okay. He’s been taken to the hospital. Manager-nim said we could visit him in a couple hours when he wakes up”.
By now, everyone is sobbing; their brother is lying in a cold hospital bed after being hit by a car. Jihoon is distraught, feeling a weight crashing on his shoulders. “I didn’t mean what I said. I love him! He’s my baby brother! I didn’t mean it”, he whimpers out the last part quietly. Jeonghan moves to hold the sobbing boy close, “it’s not your fault Jihoon. Yes, you definitely shouldn’t have said those things to Vernon, but it’s not your fault he was hit by a car. You can apologize to him when you see him. He’s gonna be alright.”
The first thing Vernon feels when he regains consciousness is the pain in his ribs. Groaning, he looks around him, realizing that he’s laying in a hospital bed. His mind immediately reminds him of everything that happened; the fight with his members, running out, the car running the red light, the agonizing pain.
A nurse comes in then, smiling sweetly at him. “It’s good to see you awake!” Groaning, Vernon tries to smile back, wincing when he feels the sharp pain in the back of his head. The nurse looks at him sympathetically, “you’re head may be sore for a while. You hit it pretty hard, resulting in a concussion” after writing some things on a clipboard, she looks back at the door. “There are some very worried young men waiting for you, and by some, I mean 12. Normally we don’t allow that many visitors, but I’ll make an exception this once”. She gives one last smile before opening the door, revealing his members. The nurse reminds them that they have to be quiet before slipping out the door.
The first one to run into the room is Jihoon, who still has tears sliding down. “Vernon! I’m so sorry baby. I didn’t mean it. I didn’t mean any of it. You’re not annoying. You’re presence doesn’t irritate any of us. We find your pranks cute; you’re cute. I was just so stressed due to the deadlines approaching and I took that out on you. I’m not trying to excuse what I did. I just want you to know that I didn’t mean it”. He grabs Vernons left hand and holds it tightly. “Please know that I am so deeply sorry for everything I said”. He presses a light kiss to Vernon’s knuckles, the younger smiling at his hyung.
“I’m not gonna lie, hyung, what you said really really hurt. I love you guys so much. You’re my family, and the thought of you guys being annoyed by my presence, just hurt so bad. You guys are my life. I’ve grown up with you all”. Everyone crowds around him, all wanting to be touching the injured boy.
Joshua steps up, “honey, we love you just as much, if not more. You’re our brother and you will always be”. Vernon smiles sweetly at the rest of them, most cooing at the adorable sight. All are so happy to see the smile they love so much returning to the boy's beautiful face.
“So when will I be able to return back to practice?”
“Vernon, you have three broken ribs, a concussion and bruises all over. If you think that you’re gonna be doing anything other than getting smothered to death with cuddles for at least a month, you’re hilarious”.
“Oh come on Seokmin-hyung! It doesn’t hurt that bad. I’m fin-” The injured boy immediately cuts off with a yelp of pain when he feels Seungkwan poke his injured ribs. He glares at his evil hyung, who just ignores the glare, and smirks at Vernon. “Right. You’re so fine, aren’t ya?”
Crossing his arms, Vernon pouts at his hyungs and Chan, “can’t I at least go to vocal practice?”
Hard ‘no’s’ are heard from everyone.
“Yeah, it’s gonna have to be a no from me”.
Vernon glares at his Jun-hyung before groaning loudly in exasperation. Outwardly, he looks irritated at the thought of his hyungs smothering him, but inwardly, he couldn’t be happier.