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The five day Busan trip is more or less, a success. The air smells like salt and most of the time, of fried food. Thesun is warm without being punishing to their skin. They go through the days without a strict plan. They stop at street stalls or go for walks along sidewalks near the water. They spend most hours at the beach, swimming and frolicking . Hyuntak complains about the heat most of the time too, as his thin shirt clings to his back, sweat acting as glue. Juntae takes photos of everything, including things no one will ever want to see again. Suho looks relaxed in a way Sieun doesn’t see much after he woke up from his coma, smiling faintly as if content with how the world works right now.
Sieun doesn't say it, but he’s actually enjoying this. He walks a half-step behind the wheelchair out of habit, eyes tracking the ground automatically— cracks in the pavement and uneven patches. Baku talks with his hands, loud and enthusiastic. Suho leans back slightly, letting the breeze brush his face, trusting everyone around him without hesitation. The countryside road isn’t part of the plan; it’s something Baku points at and insists on because it is 'healing. to take a stroll in it. Good thing, there are a lot of big trees on each side, so the sun is partly blocked and not beating down on them.
Baku, the idiot that he is, had been the one pushing Suho’s wheelchair. Sieun had disagreed initially not fully trusting Baku to handle Suho with care. If it hadn't been for Suho's insistence that it was fine— "He's only pushing my wheelchair Sieun-ah. What could possibly go wrong?"— he wouldn't have given Baku the privilege of pushing the wheelchair.
This is where everything went wrong.
With one hand on the handles, the other gesturing wildly as he talked about Slam Dunk or something equally unimportant, Baku, bless his soul, had forgotten that he was holding a wheelchair. Suho's wheelchair, to be exact.
Sieun had noticed the slope first. The second thing he noticed was Baku completely letting go of the wheelchair. He had opened his mouth to speak exactly half a second too late. "Baku—".
Hyuntak and Juntae gape, utterly frozen in place.
The wheelchair jerks forward.
Ahn Suho, is somehow, not worried. This becomes apparent as his wheelchair begins rolling downhill on the bumpy country road somewhere on the outskirts of Busan, picking up speed with every uneven crack in the pavement.
“Whoa,” Suho says, delighted. “This thing’s fast.”
“Suho-yah—”
That sound is Yeon Sieun panicking.
Baku freezes. “Oh,” Baku says.
The chair lurches and rolls. Picks up speed. Suho laughs, “I’m moving,” Suho announces, giddy, as if this is good news.
Then Baku screams. “Why is he moving?!"'
Juntae claps his hands to his head. “Why did you let go?!”
“I thought it was locked!,” Baku yells, already sprinting uselessly after it.
Sieun doesn’t think. This is notable, because Sieun usually thinks. He overthinks. He plans. He calculates risk. But the second Suho’s wheelchair starts bouncing downhill, something cold and sharp snaps inside his chest and his brain stops working. Adrenaline takes over. He runs.
Now, Sieun does not like running. He avoids it whenever possible. Running is a tiring, useless activity. It draws attention. It also makes his lungs burn and his legs ache in ways he dislikes deeply. But Suho is rolling downhill. So Sieun runs. He sprints past Baku, who barely has time to register the murderous look sent his way.
“If he dies,” Sieun says calmly as he passes, “I will kill you.”
Baku trips.
The road is uneven, gravel crunching underfoot. The wheelchair rattles violently and swerves dangerously.
Suho grips the armrests, laughing harder.
“This feels great!,” he calls out.
“Sit still!,” Sieun snaps, teeth clenched. His chest tightens. He forces his aching calves to run faster because not again. Not after two years of coma. He's not going to lose Suho because Baku was too careless.
“I am sitting!.”
“Stop enjoying it!.”
Hyuntak is yelling something incoherent behind them. Juntae is praying, hands clasped together. Baku is pleading to every known deity. "Buddha, Kami-sama, Jesus Christ! Please, please don't take Suho yet. Don't let Sieun kill me."
Sieun gains ground. His heart is pounding violently now, a sharp, terrifying rhythm in his ears. His focus tunnels completely onto Suho— his back, his shoulders, the way his head turns slightly as if checking whether Sieun is still there.
The wheelchair hits a bump and jolts forward. Sieun’s blood runs cold. He pushes harder. His foot slips slightly on loose gravel, but he recovers, teeth clenched, vision sharp with panic and fury. His lungs burn, oh how they burn, in protest.He ignores it.He reaches out— misses.
“Suho-ya,” he shouts, voice cracking despite himself.
Suho finally glances back fully. Sees Sieun running. Actually running. His expression changes immediately. “Oh,” Suho says. “Oh. Okay. This is pretty serious.”
The wheelchair hits another bump. Sieun launches forward and grabs the handle, yanking it so hard that both of them nearly tip sideways. They skid to a violent, jerking stop.
Silence.
Sieun stands there, bent over, hands locked white-knuckle tight around the handles, chest heaving violently. His vision swims. His legs feel like jelly.
Suho blinks slowly. Then—
“Wow,” he says. “You ran.”
Sieun does not answer. He is busy trying not to pass out or commit homicide. Baku arrives next, skidding to a stop a safe distance away.
"Is he alive?” Baku asks weakly.
Sieun straightens and then turns. The look on his face is calm. Too calm. “I am going to end you,” Sieun says softly.
Baku freezes, mid-breath. Then he sinks to his knees, forehead touching the dirt. "Please," he croaks. "I'll never touch a wheelchair again SIeunnie. I'll do everything you want. I'll buy you one hundred— no, a thousand pens. I'll do yours and Suho's laundry. ", He raises his head, eyes wide and pleading, big pathetuc puppy-dog eyes aimed squarely at Sieun."I'm sorry! Please don't kill me!"
Suho immediately reaches back and grabs Sieun’s wrist.
“Hey. Hey,” he says, amused but gentle. “I’m fine. That was kind of fun.”
Sieun looks down at him. His hands are still shaking.
“You could have been hurt,” Sieun says, voice low.
Suho smiles up at him. “But I'm not. See? Still in one piece.”
“That was reckless.”
“Yes.”
“Stupid.”
“Also yes.”
Sieun exhales sharply. “I hate running,” he mutters.
Suho laughs again, warm and bright. “Worth it though? You saved this damsel in distress”, Suho says, cocking his head to the side, perfect rows of teeth showing as he gestures at himself.
"You're not a damsel",Sieun responds, unamused.
Behind them, Hyuntak and Juntae catches up. Hyuntak groans. “I aged ten years.” Juntae bends over, hands on his knees, coughing as he tries to get more air in his lungs. Hyuntak stops, narrows his eyes at Baku still kneeling with his puppy-dog eyes, and points at him/. "You. Stay off wheelchairs for a decade"
Baku nods vigorously. "I swear! "I'll never touch a wheelchair again!"
“Good,” Sieun says flatly.
Hyuntak wipes the sweat from his forehead. “Healing my ass. What about this stroll is healing? You almost killed him!”
“But look! Suho’s smiling. He looks healthier after the fall. I think his soul is healed,” Baku says, eyes wide, a lightbulb practically appearing above his head. He stares at Hyuntak, unblinking, full of wonder. “Do you think he’ll be able to walk?”
Hyuntak’s brows twitch. He closes his eyes and starts counting “One…inhale, exhale…two…”
Sieun exhales then, voice low and sharp. “You’re not allowed within five feet of Suho for the rest of this trip.”
Baku whimpers. His metaphorical dog ears go flat on his head. Are those real tears in his eyes? He stares at Suho as if begging. "But I wanna play with Suho too," he squeaks.
Suho just laughs, leaning back in his wheelchair. "good luck with that, Baku."
Sieun shakes his head, exasperated, turning again to Suho. "Next time," he mutters, "I do the pushing"
Suho's grin turns mischievous, "Ooh. Kinky. I like that"
Sieun stares at him, deadpan. He'd seriously consider stabbing Suho with a pen right now, if only affection didn't get in the way.
Hyuntak groans, rubbing his face, "I do not need to hear this"
Baku wobbles to his feet, backing away slowly. "Yeah, maybe I should stay away."
"Oooh", Juntae's eyes are oddly...sparkling.
Suho just laughs, comfortable in his wheelchair. "Best trip ever"