"Whose idea was it? I want you to show me who started this." Hongjoong crosses his arms over his uncovered chest as he leans back against the wall. His shirt is unbuttoned to avoid pressure on the wound on his stomach, where a stray bullet had pierced him during the shootout.

All fingers point towards Danbi and Wooyoung who are sitting side by side, except for Wooyoung's.

"Jung Wooyoung, don't try to shift the blame to Hwayoung."

Wooyoung grumbles as he changes the direction of his pointed forefinger to himself, instead of Hwayoung who's sitting on Mingi's lap.

"Hwayoung, why don't you go to your dad?" Mingi lets her go before she dashes towards a room at the middle of the hallway, pulling back the sliding door with all her might, jumps inside and closes the door.

When they're sure that the kid is out of earshot, Hongjoong starts, "Someone better have a good explanation on what on earth just happened back there on the island yesterday night, and when this plan all started."

Some of Dr. Kei's nurses pass by them and they nod, acknowledging them before those at the waiting area - Hongjoong, Wooyoung, Jongho, Mingi, Danbi and Remy return their focus onto each other, but particularly those who started yesterday's disturbance. Everything went perfectly well, even when those on the initial mission had surrendered their lives early, knowing that they had no chance of getting out of there alive once the bombs go off. They knew that fighting against the directors and trainers would wear them out, until they'd have no energy left to escape.

But the appearance of the helicopter - courtesy of Lee Minhyuk - changed the game around, and they never would have thought that they would make it out alive.

"Okay so," Wooyoung clasps his hands, "I'll start with the why we decided to do this. You," he points to Hongjoong who snaps his head back in sudden surprise, "are our leader who decided to abandon the rest of his team members, because he wanted to go and be a hero on this suicide mission. What? You told the rest of us to stay put and enjoy the effects once the Bifidensis and KTC are gone? Kim. Hong. Joong," he enunciates. Then he claps the back of his fingers onto his other palm at every emphasis, "Did. you. forget? 8 makes freaking 1 team and I don't want to hear all that about half of us dying while the rest of us get to live. Plus!" he points his finger upwards, "Since when do I actually hear your instructions? You can't expect Jung Wooyoung to follow what you say."

Jongho rolls his eyes as he rests his elbow on the side of the chair, leaning his body. "So overdramatic," he mumbles. Then he shrugs, "But he got his points."

Wooyoung opens his palms upwards shoulder-level, a smile on his face. "I can't believe that you, Seonghwa, San, Yeosang and Byul had the audacity to leave us behind on the pretext of destroying KTC's foundation, with the thought of going down together with the crumbling building. We're all here, all you needed to do was just ask! Shhh," he places a finger on Hongjoong's lips, immediately silencing him when the leader looks like he's about to say something, "I don't want to hear about you saying that you didn't want us to get involved was because you didn't want us to get injured. Do you think we will be able to live on knowing that you're gone when we could've done something?"

Hongjoong slaps his hand away with a disgusted face but he closes his eyes and nods. "Understood. We're sorry." He looks guilty that he avoids looking at their eyes, which are staring sharply at him.

"As you should," Jongho announces. "I still can't believe you, out of all the people, agreed to this mission when the rest of us are here. I would've thought it would either be Mingi or Wooyoung to do stupid decisions like this one."

"Hey!" Wooyoung and Mingi shout simultaneously, looking very offended.

The hacker results to hitting Jongho's head, but flinches when Jongho looks like he's about to retaliate.

"That's so mean!" Wooyoung pouts as he crosses his arms and shakes his body. "I still need crutches but I went on the helicopter just to get behind the gun to save my lovely team members. I went in with the thought that I wouldn't want to see those I love go! Not San, Yeosang, Hongjoong, Seonghwa and even Byul. No one is dying on my sight."

"Might remember that when you got shot last time." Mingi slaps Wooyoung's arms.

"Oh come on, you guys still haven't let that go? I repented and I promised that I won't do it again."

Danbi groans, blowing a piece of hair out of her eyes as she tries to bring the attention to her. "Can you guys stop fighting? This is going nowhere. Fine, I was the one who started everything; I went through Lee Minhyuk first before asking for anyone on the team. He directed me towards Wooyoung, and that's how it happened. At the market yesterday, I saw Wooyoung and confirmed the plan with him. We probably had this planned before you-" he gestures towards Hongjoong, "-had assembled your team. I didn't want to let Han Byul do what she wanted to; to go on the Wonderland without even having a single thought of making out of there alive."

Hongjoong puts up a hand. "Wait, wait, wait. Does that mean all of you were already scheming for this even before we said we were about to leave for Wonderland yesterday? When Jongho and Mingi were all mad because we decided to go."

"Uh-uh," Jongho nods. "We're great actors, you know."

Mingi gives off a proud smile. "You're not the only one who knows how to make grand plans, captain. We have brains too, and we made an even grander entrance." He stretches his arms. "Helicopter and machine guns."

"Oh please," Wooyoung snorts. "You weren't even there. You're at home with Hwayoung, trying to stop her crying, unsuccessfully. You had been trying to bribe her with chips but she must had pushed it away."

Mingi sighs. "She did. She only wanted all of you to come back as quickly as you could. I did manage to calm her down and make her go to sleep though." He bares his teeth as his eyes disappear with the wide smile. "I think I'm ready to be a dad now."

"I feel sorry for your future child," Jongho winces. "You're the baby that needs to be taken care of."

"True," Hongjoong replies, putting his hands on his hips. He hears a hushed shriek from the nurse station and looks over, only to see the nurses gawking at him. He looks down, realizes that he's practically half-naked before he immediately pulls his shirt to cover his body.

Danbi and Remy stay quiet through the conversation, still not used to the fact that how easily ATEEZ seem to be distracted from the main topic. Interesting men.

Danbi clears her throat to bring back the attention to her. "It started when I knew Han Byul's plan was to let her life go, and I can't bear seeing her getting hurt all over again, while leaving Yunho and Hwayoung behind. Once-"

"Twice. She died twice," Mingi unhelpfully adds.

"Twice is enough for her, and I'm not about to see her die for the third time. I love her and all I want is her to get married to that guy she loves so much she would sacrifice her life for, live happily ever after with their child. Han Byul cried so much for them, and I don't want to see this incomplete story. I'm getting her what she deserves, and Jeong Hwayoung deserves to know that Han Byul is her biological mother-"

A high-pitched gasp escapes and they automatically turn their heads to see Yunho with Hwayoung holding hands near them, and both look like they just barged in a conversation they're not supposed to be in.

"So uh, Han Byul wanted some water and we're about to get her some," Yunho says awkwardly as he widens his eyes and presses his lips together, gesturing towards Hwayoung with his head.

Jongho, Mingi and Wooyoung simultaneously stay silent, before they turn to look at each other, then to Danbi. Hongjoong slaps a hand to his forehead and Remy shakes his head, refusing to participate.

"Right, uh," Danbi weaves her hands together, realizing what she had said. Byul and Yunho had probably planned to break it to their daughter, but she just let it slip. She really never thinks when she speaks. She gives off a nervous chuckle. "Help me," she pleads to Remy, then to the rest but they only shrug.

"You're- on- your- own-" Jongho coughs in between the words, trying to not appear like he's saying anything.

"Uncles, what does biological mother mean? Dad?" she looks up and tugs his hand.

Jongho and Mingi push Wooyoung forward, and he scrambles to hold on to something as he still needs crutches. He looks back, mouthing What? and they jut their chins outwards, asking him to answer her question.

"I'm not good in vocabulary, so I have no idea what that is. Hmmm, interesting though." Wooyoung pretends to be deep in thought as he puts a finger to his cheek. Then he grabs a pair of his crutches before intending to whack both Mingi and Jongho.

"Hwayoung," Yunho decides to crouch so that he can look directly at his daughter. He envelops her hands in his, rubbing them as he tries to construct his words carefully. "Biological mother means your real mother, a person who gave birth to you. What Aunt Danbi meant is that Byul-ie is your real mother."

"But you said my mom's name is Lee Eunbi," Hwayoung states sheepishly.

"Wonderland is a bad place, isn't it?" Yunho turns it into a question as she nods quickly. "They make you do things that you don't want to. Because of that your mother had to change her name and live as someone else. But it doesn't change the fact that she gave birth to you, you're her daughter and she loves you a lot. Alright?"

She stays quiet for a moment and the rest of them think that ah, she must be angry. Then she opens her mouth, "Does that mean my mother didn't die because of me? Does that mean she's still alive?"

Yunho rubs a palm on her cheek and presses his thumb on her chin. "Yes, honey. Your mom is always right there beside you, but because of the bad people she couldn't say who she is. She wants you to be happy and that those bad people wouldn't touch you."

"Does that mean... Byul-ie is my mother?"

Yunho nods, confirming it. He's about to rack his brain for something else to coax her, but they get surprised when she jumps up, shaking her body excitedly.

"I knew it!" Hwayoung giggles, before dashing into Byul's ward again, shouting, "Mom, I love you!"

"Wait, she knew?" Mingi creases his forehead. "She's 6 years old and she's smarter than the rest of us."

"A mother and daughter bond never lies," Wooyoung states dreamily as he wipes a tear off. "I'm so glad I'm here to see this beautiful reunion."

Yunho takes a moment to process what just happened, before frowning and turning his attention to Byul's ward room door. He walks towards it and peeks through the opening to see Hwayoung on the bed with Byul, and the child is excitedly repeating the word 'mom' to her. Byul is laughing with tears in her eyes and hugging the child close.

Byul sees Yunho at the door and she gestures for him to come in.

He does, albeit slowly before realizing that he still hasn't taken some water for her. "Ah, you said you needed water, I'll just go-"

"Never mind that," she replies. She nods her head once. "Come here."

Yunho follows her instruction. He takes a seat at the edge of the bed, before Hwayoung pulls to hug both him and Byul.

"I love you, mom, dad."

"We love you too, Hwayoung."

---

Outside at the waiting area, Akira and Emira have just arrived at the hospital, looking visibly worried as they scan the faces one by one. There's extreme panic on the two sisters' faces when they can't spot San, Seonghwa nor Yeosang in the crowd.

"Park- Park Seonghwa," Akira stutters. "Where is he? What happened to him?"

"Seonghwa..." Hongjoong starts. "He was the last person to climb up the ladder as the bomb went off. We had to divert the helicopter when he was still holding on to the ladder... but he lost his grip and fell. He knocked his head against a structure-"

"Oh my god, no!" Emira wails before Hongjoong gets to finish his sentence. "My sister's boyfriend is... dead, isn't he?"

"What?" the leader replies, knitting his eyebrows together. "No."

Emira gasps before raising a shaky hand to her mouth. "He must be in a coma right now, and lost his memories. Akira," she cries, "my poor little sister." She pulls a confused Akira into her embrace before sobbing. "What do I do with you, Akira? Both of you only started confessing your feelings for each other and he's probably not going to remember you." She shouts louder, "All I wanted was a sweet love story and not some tragic one!"

"I mean, it's true that he hasn't woken up since we brought him here," Wooyoung adds.

"Which room is he in?" Akira now looks calm, as opposed to her sister who's still crushing her in a death grip and crying.

"It's... that one," Jongho points to one located on the left of Byul's room. "He's in there."

Akira struggles to walk with Emira still holding on to her, but as they arrive in front of the door, Emira lets go and sniffs, "Go and see him Akira. I can't bear to see the sight of you talking to him but he cannot reply anything." She takes out a handkerchief from who-knows-where before dabbing her tears dry. "Please be strong."

Akira is already letting the door ajar, and she says, "I will." She closes the door behind her, enveloped by the sudden silence and the steady beeping of the monitor displaying his heart rate.

Seonghwa is lying on the bed, eyes closed but chest rising up and down with wires snaking all over him. His head and multiple places on his body are bandaged. There's an IV drip stand with a clear fluid inside, and she cannot tell whether it's supplying him his medications, or simply normal saline. He lies still, without any movement as she takes a chair to sit beside his bed.

She takes his hand, muttering, "Please tell me you're still there, you remember who I am and that my sister, as always, is over-reacting."

"So it was your sister who cried loudly outside?" he mumbles with his eyes closed. "I'm glad to know that you didn't cry, like I asked you not to." He opens his eyes and he turns his head to the side to see her staring at him like she just found gold.

"I did cry, you idiot!" Akira punches his stomach and he suffers in silence before she panics and tries to pat the pain away. "I'm- I'm sorry, I didn't know you got injured there-"

Seonghwa lets out a low chuckle before sticking out his tongue. "Just... kidding."

There's fire in her eyes as she balls her fist again and thumps it on his shoulder, harder this time. "It's not funny, you mummified lemon!"

This time his shout is genuine as his hand flies to his shoulder, gripping it as Akira looks at him, refusing to help him even when a painful croak is coming out of his mouth. "This is so- embarrassing-" Then his body goes limp as his eyelids flutter and his head lolls to the side.

Bemused, she pokes his arm slowly. "Lemon, are you there?"

"Don't talk to me, this is embarrassing," he mutters. Only his chest and lips are moving while the rest of his body is still rigid.

"What is?"

"That I said goodbye to you like it was the end of the world, made you cry but I'm still here, alive. Looking like a mummy. We always get angry at Wooyoung because he likes to over-react but it looks like I'm just the same as him."

"Open your eyes and let me see them," she utters. "There's nothing to be embarrassed of. If there's someone who gets to be embarrassed, it's me. I used up all my tears for the jerk I thought who's going to leave me forever but here he is, pretending to get hurt when I punched him at where he's not injured."

"I thought you called me your hero, but now I'm just a jerk?" he asks, still with his eyes closed. He refuses to open them, feeling ashamed.

"You are a jerk." She crosses her arms and leans back on the chair. "You left me just like that, and you told me not to cry. How am I supposed to do that? I cried the moment you-"

Seonghwa sits up and pulls her towards him, giving her a kiss on the lips and that seems to shut her up.

"I'm sorry." He rests his palm against her neck, his hand held back by the wires injected into him. "I'm sorry," he repeats again. "Because I didn't have the thought that we could make it out alive. I really thought it was the last time I could be with you."

She stares at him accusingly before narrowing her eyes and asking, "Are you sure I was your first kiss? You seem to really know how to and you're using all these tricks to shut me up."

He shrugs. "Of course you are, it's not like I'm interested in any other girls besides you. I just like watching romantic dramas while waiting for you, and they seem to show that it works. If it's effective then.." he trails off before smirking.

Her cheeks burn as she looks away and he chortles.

"Looks like I'm getting better at this relationship thingy." When she stays quiet, he lets her go before leaning against the headboard of the bed. "I was thinking..." he starts without looking at her. "How it would be if... we can... be together..."

"But we are now," she enunciates.

"That's-" he chuckles. "Okay I might have worded that wrongly." He looks straight in front to the wall, as if he's ashamed to even face her directly. "We've known... each other since we're teenagers and although we never really said it, we like each other... right?" He plays around with his fingers.

"Yes?" she makes it as a question, unsure of where this is going.

"I want to-" he stops, takes a deep breath. "I want to marry you."

She blinks, mouth locked from saying anything.

"I mean," he quickly refutes, but he still refuses to look at her, finding the wall as something that calms him. "I don't have a ring right now and I can't propose to you in a grand way that you deserve, but I feel that I won't gather the courage to say it again next time. I want you to know that I'm serious with our relationship and I can't think of spending the rest of my life with anyone else other than you. When I knocked my head as I fell yesterday," he chortles, "you were the only face that I saw. Not even the boys, or anyone else for that matter. All I see is a portrait of Akira Hwang in the night sky, pleading me to stay alive."

"That's so..." she finally opens her mouth. "Sweet. Those dramas really taught you a lot. Looks like you're not a lemon anymore, but honey now."

He turns to look at her, and he takes her hand. "I have no idea what's that supposed to mean."

"It means that yes, I'll marry you, Park Seonghwa."

---

[A/N: People around me are falling in love while I'm here falling off my chair. I don't like watching romance movies but here I am writing about romance that I know nothing about or never experienced ;-;]