Labyrinth of Dreams

The feeling of cold and fear permeated even in the realm of dreams. It never left him. It never left anyone. Cold, very cold. It seemed like an ordinary feeling, but it felt different, like millions of needles were cutting and tearing through your flesh, gradually depriving you of all feelings except pain and fear, and then, you were simply thrown into a deep, dark abyss. You fly and fly down, but there is no bottom, because it is endless, you will not die so easily. If you want, then no one will die. The Listener said that no one can fly if everyone is selfish, but some can create the illusion of wings and crash, and someone can grow wings and calmly fly through the skies. You should believe it. You should believe the eleventh and yourself, F..e...

His eyes opened sharply when he felt an icy touch on his face in the darkness. Jumping up abruptly, he sat up in bed, feeling his heart pounding in his chest from primal fear, trying to understand what had happened in the darkness of his room. The window glowed yellow, and outside nature was already preparing to wake up, but there was still a long time until that moment, so it was in no hurry. It was no longer possible to fall asleep again, so the guy got up from the heated bed and, turning on the lamp on the nightstand near the bed, tried to finally wake up, rubbing his eyes with his hands, until black dots appeared around them. He did not live alone in the room, so he had to leave the room carefully, not stepping on the creaky floorboards. Quietly getting up and opening the door, the guy walked along the cold floor to the kitchen on the first floor, gradually remembering his schedule for today. He started his day with a mug of coffee, but who was he to grind and cook beans in a Turk at such an early hour, making sure that the drink, God forbid, did not spill onto the stove? True, he is not crazy, or just not as much of a coffee connoisseur as someone else. Having poured cheap instant powder into his cup, poured it all with just boiling water, he still allowed himself to enjoy a sip of the hot drink, feeling how the coffee invigoratingly awakens his body and thoughts. After, the guy left the kitchen and went to an even more invigorating shower, where he, several years ago, imagined himself a real hero, deciding to always turn on only cold water to wake himself up completely.

Standing under a stream of water, scalding with cold, the guy thought about how the concert would go today, which began to be planned at the beginning of last month. It was supposed to be the first concert that the band would perform in New York State. Before that, their concerts were held only within Europe and Asia, because the whole group knew very well what feelings the English-speaking fandom of their group had for the guy. If you express these feelings briefly, you can get by with one word - contempt. You might think that this is a normal attitude towards any even slightly famous person, because everyone has people who will hate them, but this situation was different. He had no fans at all, and if someone dared to say that they loved his performances, personality or guitar playing, they would be despised just like their idol. Several times, there were cases in the news where people were beaten for this, which was frightening and inhumane. The most offensive thing was to realize that this attitude was only for him, and the fans treated the rest of the band in a completely different way, they sincerely loved them, did not write terrible comments under posts and videos, did not threaten to beat them up for every little mistake they made.

He turned off the shower and grabbed the nearest towel to start removing the damp coolness from his hair and body. Feeling a surge of freshness, he left the shower stall, trying not to make unnecessary noise. The boy felt a fleeting sense of unease, but he tried to push it aside, focusing on finishing his morning ritual. Walking over to the mirror, standing in front of it and looking closely at his reflection, he noticed that there were dark circles on his face, probably due to the lack of sleep lately. Trying to ignore his face, he looked at the top of his head.

Pink hair lay untidily after the towel, and going down a little lower, you could see blue eyes, which would soon be pink for everyone. No matter how hard he tried, the guy noticed that the skin was too pale, and the weight seemed to have dropped a little lately. Trying to smile, only a frightening expression appeared in the mirror, which caused anxiety. Turning away and with quick but quiet steps, he returned to the room and went to the closet to choose clothes for the day. There was a lot of choice, since the guy liked to dress in different outfits and experiment. On the top shelf lay all the things that, in the owner's opinion, were the most comfortable and pleasant for "home" days. Although today everything was completely different, but feeling the cold air around his naked body, he quickly pulled on his favorite black shorts and a white T-shirt, which was quite loose and comfortable. A quick glance at the clock hanging on the wall showed that it was a little after 6am, so he could still afford some free time before breakfast. Sitting at the foot of the bed and closing his eyes tiredly, feeling the tension in his muscles from lack of sleep, his thoughts returned to the upcoming concert again. He knew that it would be a huge honor to perform in North America for the first time, but he couldn't ignore the feeling of anxiety that was slowly growing in his chest. He tried doing breathing exercises to calm himself down, but it didn't help. The guy got out of bed and walked back and forth across the room, trying to use up the accumulated energy in his body. He knew that he should try to relax, but his thoughts were becoming more and more anxious. He sighed and sat down on the bed, feeling helpless in the face of his emotions. It was clear that he should get some more sleep before breakfast and preparations for the concert, but he could not find peace. His nerves were like taut guitar strings, ready to ring from tension at any moment. He got out of bed again and went to the window, pulled back the curtain and looked out onto the street. The dawn was already breaking, lighting up the sky with soft pink tones, and nature had finally awakened from its sleep. There was not a soul on the street, only the early birds had already woken up and were starting their morning songs. You can't even imagine how beautiful this dawn was. Many people say that God allows dead artists to paint the sunset and leave a trace of themselves, but could it be the same with the dawn?

The guy watched the sun slowly rise above the horizon, and tried to find peace for his anxious soul in this beauty. He sighed and turned away from the window, realizing that he needed to somehow manage his emotions before breakfast and the start of the day. Sitting down on the bed again, he felt how anxiety was increasingly taking over his mind. He closed his eyes and focused on his breathing, trying to calm his heart and thoughts, and after a couple of minutes he felt his body relax a little and his mind become calmer. The breathing exercises did help, but the anxiety was still there, like a thin web wrapping around his heart. A few more minutes passed, and he felt his nerves finally calming down. His heart was beating evenly and his thoughts were becoming clearer. He opened his eyes and got out of bed, feeling like he had finally found a small respite from his anxiety. Walking over to the mirror and looking at his reflection again, the guy noticed that although the dark circles under his eyes were still noticeable, his skin was no longer as pale as before. He ruffled his hair and smiled at himself in the mirror, and then looked at the clock again and saw that it was half past six. He needed to get down to the kitchen before the rest of the group started waking up, so he headed for the door, ready to start his day. The guy carefully turned the door handle, trying not to make any unnecessary sounds, and slipped out of the room into the hallway, heading for the kitchen. He carefully made sure that his steps were as silent as possible, so as not to wake the others.

He paused for a moment and took a deep breath, trying to calm the last traces of anxiety, and then slowly began to descend the stairs. Each step on the stairs made a soft creak, holding his breath after each step to make sure he hadn't woken anyone up. Finally, he descended to the last level and heard soft sounds coming from his right. He quietly approached the arch and cautiously peered into the kitchen, immediately noticing that someone was already there. This someone was standing at the table and fiddling with the coffee maker. This person, a real coffee connoisseur, just after grinding the beans, the guy poured the resulting mixture into the Turk.

He narrowed his eyes to see who was standing there. The hair was tangled, and on the body he was wearing only black pants and a white T-shirt, the same as his. He immediately guessed who it was.

- It's so early in the morning, and Mori is already here, - he said quietly, coming closer to the man.

The interlocutor turned around abruptly, obviously scared, almost dropping the coffee maker from his hands.

- God, you scared me, Shiny, - the interlocutor muttered, calming his breathing. He almost jumped in place from surprise.

- Sorry, - the one who entered answered, smiling shyly. - I didn't mean to scare you. Are you busy with something?

- Yes, I was just trying to make coffee, - the interlocutor answered, calming down a little from surprise - have you already drunk it?

- Yes, I did, and where are the others? - the pink-haired man asked, switching to another topic. - Why has no one come down to the kitchen yet?

- Probably still asleep, or lying in their beds, pretending to sleep, - he answered, looking at the clock. — It's only a little after six in the morning, so I'm not surprised that I was the first one down, well, as I understand it, it would be a little more correct to call myself the second one.

— Yeah, you're right about that, — the other guy agreed, moving away from the table and sitting on the edge of it.

— And why did you wake up so early? — He shrugged.

— I don't know, I just woke up earlier than usual and couldn't fall back asleep. My thoughts were bothering me, so I just got out of bed. At least I'll have time to get ready.

— Your anxiety is making itself known again, huh? — the other guy asked, looking at his face too closely. Shiny felt as if his interlocutor's eyes wanted to bore a huge hole through him.

— It's just that it's been bothering me especially badly lately. I don't know what to do about it.

— Have you tried breathing exercises? — the other guy asked, frowning slightly. — They usually help you cope with your symptoms.

- Yes, I tried, - he answered, scratching his cheek. - But this time it didn't help much, maybe I did something wrong?

- I understand... - the interlocutor said quietly, looking at him even more closely. - It happens. Your brain just likes to bother you sometimes, it's not quite normal, of course, but you shouldn't think about it too much.

Smiling and agreeing with the interlocutor, Shiny fully enters the kitchen, not wanting to stand in the aisle any longer. - Yeah... Sometimes I wish my head would just shut up and stop making up all this nonsense.

- Then you definitely wouldn't be able to exist without your pink head, - the interlocutor answered, smiling slightly. - Your brain is the only thing that keeps you from completely losing your poor mind.

- Thanks, of course, for reminding me, - he answered sarcastically. — It's always nice to know that the only thing that keeps you in place is your own brain.

— No need to be so angry in the morning, — the interlocutor answered, gently nudging him with his knee. — I'm just telling the truth. You know it is. Your brain is your only defense against total insanity.

— Yeah, and he's also the main source of my eternal anxiety, — he answered, shaking his head.

— He still loves you, — the interlocutor answered, smiling slightly. — Don't try to deny it.

— Yeah, if he did, then he wouldn't mock me like that, — he answered quietly, looking away. — He gives me too much trouble.

- Well, look at it positively, - added the interlocutor, raising his eyes to the ceiling. - At least you have it, and it knows how to work. You can always find something good, even if it's your own leaky and rotten brain.

- Still, you are too positive. Maybe you could share a small portion of your optimism? I could definitely use it right now.

- At your service, - answered the interlocutor, smiling broadly. - Although, I suspect that you just don't have enough caffeine in your blood. You'll see, after the second glass, this time high-quality coffee, not packaged, and I'm sure that's what you drank, you will be at the very height of optimism.

- Yes, of course, coffee is a panacea for all problems. At one moment it will turn you into a hyperactive child, capable of performing any miracles, and the next it will lower your blood pressure to the point of nosebleeds.

- Well, it's better than being an anxious misanthrope who hates his own brain, - the interlocutor replied, smiling slyly, - and stop reminding me about that time, when you drank at least four large double espressos in one day, don't compare this and that.

He snorted again and tried to wave the interlocutor off. - Stop your stupid jokes in the morning and just admit that you're too cheerful for the morning. And anyway, it was an espresso with milk.

- And you're too anxious for the morning. Who's weirder between us? - the interlocutor replied, laughing cheerfully. - Speaking of coffee... - he added, jumping off the table. - The coffee is already made.

Mori turned his head to the coffee maker just as the dark liquid was about to rise and splash over the iron edges onto the hob and managed to remove it from the stove.

- I knew right away that you were only interested in coffee, and not my poor mental state, - he answered slightly sarcastically, raising one eyebrow.

- Oh, no need to be so dramatic, - the interlocutor answered, approaching the table to pour coffee into his mug, - I know perfectly well that you are worse today than on our usual days, but I just want to relax you a little and dilute the whole situation with jokes. You know perfectly well that I sincerely care about you.

- Sometimes, it seems to me that your joking only makes everything worse. Maybe you can try to be at least a little more serious?

- I can, if necessary, - the interlocutor answered, approaching the table with two cups of coffee in his hands, he added whipped cream to one, and left the second as is. Having placed one cup in front of him and sat down next to him, the conversation continued. - But usually joking helped to calm you down and distract you from unnecessary things, but apparently not this time.

Shiny silently took the cup of coffee and brought it to his mouth, inhaling the overly rich aroma of the drink. This smell immersed him in something nostalgic, that he could no longer remember what those memories were about. There was silence between the guys and the only sound was the beating of his own heart. It was difficult to remain silent. Shiny said too much and did not deny it, so he started the conversation first.

- Sorry if I was too rude. I just don't really understand your optimism in this situation.

- It's okay, I understand that it's hard for you now, - the interlocutor answered, carefully pushing his mug aside. - But I've known you long enough not to take everything to heart. I can even bet that you want to hug me now to calm down.

He sighed again, a little embarrassed. He knew perfectly well that the interlocutor was right, so he did not object, but simply silently turned away from him, hiding his eyes. It was too awkward to admit his own weakness.

- Then I'm right, - the other man replied, chuckling quietly. - So I suggest you just do it right now.

He turned his head sharply towards the other man, catching the hint of mockery in his voice.

- You're making fun of me, - he said, feeling his cheeks flush a little.

- Don't call it that, - the other man replied, raising his hands up in surrender. - I'm just suggesting the best way to deal with your anxiety right now. And yes, I know perfectly well that you want it very badly right now.

He frowned, feeling his embarrassment grow. Shiny knew perfectly well that the other man was right, so he simply bit his lip. He hated feeling so vulnerable and couldn't resist the temptation to get some attention and comfort. He took one last look at the other man and finally gave in.

- Okay. Just do it.

He didn't even have time to finish his sentence, as the other man immediately moved closer and extended his arms to pull him into an embrace. He inhaled sharply, feeling his heart begin to beat faster from the sudden contact.

- It'll be okay, you can do it, - the other man said quietly, hugging him slightly.

He inhaled slowly, feeling the warmth of the other man's body penetrate his. Mori smelled of something floral, reminiscent of lavender, but with something else added. He wanted to smell it forever, but the guilt of his dependence on the other man at such moments was too strong to concentrate.

- You're too kind to me, - he replied quietly, finally allowing himself to relax a little in his arms. - I don't deserve so much of your care and attention.

- No, don't say that, - Mori replied, gently hugging him even tighter. - You deserve all my support and attention. I know that it's hard for you to cope with your emotions, so I'm always here to support you. You can think of it as my ability, not as a kindness. I want to be there for you, so let's end this conversation. You're safe now.

- Okay, - he replied quietly. - I'm sorry about everything.

- It's okay, - the other man replied quietly, gently hugging him even tighter. - You don't have to apologize for anything. I understand that this is just your reaction to stress and anxiety. I just want you to know that I'll always be there for you, ready to reassure you. Right now, you just need to relax.

He closed his eyes and concentrated on the gentle stroking of his hands on his back, feeling how anxiety finally faded into the background. "Thank you," he answered quietly, feeling how his heart finally began to calm down. "I appreciate you very much."

Loud footsteps and indistinct voices were heard on the stairs. Perhaps one of the sleeping 4 participants woke up. Shiny jerked sharply, hearing the noise on the stairs, apparently forgetting that they were not alone in the house.

- Relax, everything is fine, - the interlocutor answered quietly, hugging him even tighter. - The others just woke up. They are just going down. Breathe calmly, there is no reason to worry.

A scream was heard behind the door, which did not allow Shiny to calm down completely.

- I think it's better to go check what's going on, - Shiny said.

- Yes, perhaps you're right, - he exhaled quietly, barely audible, - be calm. I'll be back very soon. - He added, hugging him gently. - Just try to breathe calmly and relax. There's no threat here, so don't worry. I'll be back with an answer, so just rest for a while.

Shiny nodded, trying to calm down and finally tear his palms away from his interlocutor. He remained sitting there, on the chair, waiting for his friend to return. Mori quickly slipped out of the room and left Shiny alone to wait. He quickly reached the wall separating the stairs and the kitchen with the living room, and disappeared from Shiny's field of vision. The voices became louder and clearer, but Shiny could not make them out completely.

- What's going on here? - Mori's voice was heard as soon as he disappeared from Shiny's sight.

He jerked sharply, hearing Mori's voice, but he could not make out the words, so he just sat there. The guy again felt something growing inside him with every second of waiting. The voices died down for a couple of minutes, but soon became audible again. Hakei's voice was slightly louder than the others, apparently he was the one answering the question. Even without seeing their faces, Shiny could tell from the tone of Mori's voice that he was dissatisfied with the answer he had received. The voice returned to its usual, calm tone when answering Hakei.

- I see, don't bother him anymore. - Mori replied.

It became clear that the other man was already coming back to him. Shiny was still feeling uneasy about not knowing what had happened between them earlier, but he was finally able to exhale the air he had accidentally held and close his eyes. He heard Mori approach him.

- It's okay, - he said softly and quietly, - And you?

- What's going on? - Shiny asked quietly and uncertainly.

Mori's lips formed a thin line when he felt Shiny start breathing through his mouth again. It was always a bad sign, so he had to calm him down even more. He pulled him close again and gently hugged his head.

- Hush, - he repeated quietly, feeling Shiny trying to calm down, - I already know what's going on. It's okay, I'll tell you everything.

Mori allowed himself to gently calm him down a little longer, and then finally answered the question asked of him.

- Hakeya and Kirman had a disagreement, which angered the latter so much that he simply left, but not before punching Hakeya in the stomach. Hakeya is fine, don't worry, he added quietly. - It was just a small outburst of anger from Kirman. Everything is under control now.

- So what will he do now? - Shiny asked slowly.

- He went outside to calm down.

- Oh, okay.

- Ahem.. - a sharp cough was heard from Hakeya to attract attention. - Am I disturbing you, lovers?

- Hmm... Do I hear jealousy from you, Hakeya?

- You hear what you hear, dear, - Hakeya answered with a grin, feeling his lips stretch into a cat-like grin, - It's hard to restrain myself when I see you two in such a tender embrace before my eyes.

- Jealousy words don't suit you... my dear, - Mori answered.

- But it seems to suit me very well, if you react like that, my dear.

- I don't need to talk to you yet.

- Oh, and how much do you need a boy and someone's embrace right now, my dear?

- I only need my friend's safety.

- "Safety"? Without tenderness?

- No, only safety, - he answered quietly, looking at Shiny. - Hakeya, please stop. You see for yourself that your words have a negative effect not only on me, but also on Shiny, who is already feeling bad without you.

Hakeya responded with a quiet laugh, apparently realizing that dragging Shiny into this was useless, but it could come in handy.

- Oh, if I see, I see even too well. But allow me to ask one last question, my dear?

- What? - Mori answered sharply and quietly.

- You are very gently comforting him in your arms. Are you sure that you only feel safety for the boy?

- Shiny, wait for me in your room. You know where it is. - Mori answered unexpectedly coldly. Shiny jerked sharply from his words, forcing himself to move away from him, so he did not immediately look him in the eye, feeling how his heart began to beat faster not only from Hakei's intervention, but also from Mori's words.

- Okay.. - Shiny answered quietly and quickly went where he was pointed, not really wanting to leave the room, but he understood that it was worth leaving. Having reached the stairs, voices were heard from the hall and Shiny quickly got up, because he did not want to eavesdrop or interfere in any way. Among all the rooms, he chose the one that was closer to the stairs, because this is where he was once settled, went in, sat on the bed and began to wait while his neighbor was fast asleep.

***

- Are you satisfied? Did you achieve what you wanted with your intervention?

- I am very pleased with your reaction, bunny.

- I asked you not to call me that. - Mori replied coldly, throwing him a displeased look.

- Oh, but that nickname suits you very well... bunny.

- Hakeya, shut up.

- Don't shut me up, bunny.

- Shut up! - Mori almost shouted.

- Oh, look, even your eyes have started to shine brightly, bunny.

- Stop calling me that damn nickname. I don't want to hear it anymore.

- I think you'll soon burst into flames if I keep calling you that, so I won't stop, bunny.

- Please, just shut up!

- Oh, have you finally let your anger out, bunny?

- I repeat for the last time, call me by that name even once more and I will shut you up by force.

- Oh, and how do you want to shut me up... bunny?

- Do you want me to show you now?

- Oh, interesting.. show me.

- You asked me yourself, so don't complain later, Hakeya.

Mori abruptly stood up from his chair and headed towards Hakeya, who was calmly standing, leaning his elbows on the kitchen table. It was the first time he did this, but Mori harshly twisted his interlocutor's arms behind his back, and pushed him onto the nearby sofa, drowning his head in numerous pillows.

- Ouya.. has the dove finally shown his true temperament, huh?

- I asked you for the last time not to call me by that damned name, Hakeya.

- Ou.. are you always so rude to those you love?..

- Shut up. Now.

- Ou, how can I.. if you hold my hands above my head, bunny?.. This is too erotic a sign for you. What are you planning?

- I already told you not to call me by that name anymore. And I'm just holding you so you don't say your stupid things again, otherwise I'll really shut you up with my own lips.

- I want you to shut me up with your own lips, so you can finally kiss me... bunny.

- Shut up already. I won't kiss you...

- Then what are you going to do? Just keep me in such an extravagant position?.. You don't just throw words around, bunny.

- It's your own fault that I'm keeping you in such a position, so just shut up and don't call me by that damn name.

- Oh, what if I keep calling you by that name?.. Will you finally kiss me?..

- Hakeya, you know that there will be nothing between us after the way you treat me and my actions.

- M?.. So, if I treated you normally, then there would be something between us?

- Most likely.. yes. But not with this fucking use of my eternal kindness.

- So, you finally admit that we really would have a chance?..

- Maybe. I.. don't know.

- My attitude towards you has finally become not indifferent to you?.. Oh, I was finally able to get through to you.. bunny.

- Oh.. shut up already. Not everyone is so indifferent to you.

- So, who do you mean?.. Yourself or have I developed other secret admirers?

- Shut up. I try my best to make everyone feel good, but you spit in my face about my concern and now you still want to know how I feel about you?!

- Oh, so you still try to be nice to those you don't like?... Oh... that's a really cute quality about you...

- Oh... shut up... I was just trying to be nice to you, but you literally piss me off all the time.

- So you...

Before he could finish his sentence, Hakeya was pushed off the couch with a painful knee, and he hit his hand on the hard tile. Pain shot through his body and he hissed. Looking at Mori, he immediately stopped wanting to irritate him in any way. The last thin thread was holding the former good guy back from horror. His face lost all emotion and he looked at Hakeya indifferently, who responded with an angry and frightened look, managing to mix these emotions into a crazy cocktail.

- Go away, - Mori said sharply in a chilling voice.

- What? What do you mean "go away"?

- Literally, Hakeya.

- Do you think I'm so weak that I'll give up here?

- You're an idiot, not a weak person. You only care about your own well-being, and that's why you run from problems in all directions, just to avoid responsibility. That won't work with me. I won't fuck you just because "it's cool" or "why not". Hakeya, you need to grow up someday, and not be a child whose ass will be licked just to please.

- What? Fuck you..

Gently getting on all fours, and then into a vertical position, Hakeya quickly went to the stairs and climbed up in a matter of seconds.

***

The screams from below were unclear and sparse, but they still scared Shiny. He knew practically nothing about the relationship between Mori and Hakeya. The only thing they told him was that they used to be a couple and then broke up for some unknown reason. In general, this topic of relationships between many participants is taboo and is not supported in conversations, but sometimes the rules can be bypassed and there will be nothing terrible about it.

For example, the relationship of some of the participants - Felix and Adam. As it became clear, the second criticizes the first for his "sunny" nature. Why it happened - only these two know. Getting along with 5 people besides yourself turned out to be more difficult than everyone thought. For example, Shiny has such a bad relationship with Kirman and Hakeya. Kirman is an aggressive person by nature and criticizes any mistake, that's why he is the leader. But the second was not like that before. If you believe the stories of Felix, who used to be friends with Hakeya, then he was not always like that, but became so after some event, which of course he did not share. The most important thing is that this event is not parting with Mori, but something else, because it happened after, when Hakeya's character deteriorated completely. Because of all these disagreements, it was decided to divide the participants into rooms so that no one would suffer. As a result, there were pairs: Shiny - Felix, Adam - Mori, and Kirman and Hakeya were divided into two different rooms. The first pair studied very well, although sometimes, having parties, they disturbed the others a little. The second was not so successful, but still Adam understands Mori and his actions, so it can't be said that they get along, since they only communicate during interviews or when there is no other choice. If it were necessary to make pairs with Hakei and Kirman, then only one pair would be calm where neither of them would be. According to all calculations, they would argue with each of the group.

The sun was shining outside the window, and the clock said 9:17. A knock on the door of the room interrupted all of Shiny's thoughts and he went to open it. Perhaps it could have been Mori, but as soon as he opened the door, he saw Adam, who looked as serious as always.

- Why hasn't this idiot gotten up yet? - he said, pointing his finger at Felix, who was sleeping in the fetal position.

- In principle, he usually always sleeps this long.

- Yes, but "usually" we don't have concerts.

- The concert is not soon.

- But our daily schedule has not been cancelled.

- Today too? Maybe we should rest before the concert?

- No. Wake him up.

- Okay.

- And one more thing... Kirman wants to talk to you.

- What? Why?

- Do you think I was interested in asking him that?

- No, of course not. Well, thanks for telling me.

Adam went towards the stairs, closing the door behind him. Now all that was left was to do the impossible - wake up Felix, who had been sitting late on the phone yesterday. He often does this because he maintains active contact with his fans, and before today's concert they had turned everyone upside down.

Shiny went to his neighbor's bed and, trying to wake him up, pinched his arm. Felix woke up right away.

- Ow! Damn it, Shiny, couldn't you have woken me up less harshly?

- This is the only way you wake up. You can go down. Adam is really waiting for you there.

- It would be better to tell some positive news, and not that they are going to torture me now.

- The good news for you is that the concert is today, and they are going to torture me too, but instead of Adam they gave me Kirman.

- Uhh.. I sympathize with you, Bro.

- Yeah, everything will be fine... I guess. In any case, you better hurry up and go down.

- I'm getting up already.

Felix got out of bed and, straight in his nightgown, headed down to the others with Shiny. What Adam told him about the upcoming meeting with Kirman was frightening. What was most frightening here was not that Kirman himself was aggressive, but that in the morning his anger was driven by Hakeya, but if you believe that he went outside to freshen up, then most likely the anger has subsided, which means Shiny will not have to get it for anything other than his actions. He was also interested in Mori, who had not come up to Shiny after his promise.

In the meantime, they had both already gone downstairs and had a view of the kitchen, where Adam and Hakeya were cooking something. It was immediately clear that the other one had simply been forced to do this. They looked like they were making pancakes together.

A little further on, you could see the living room, where Mori was lying on the sofa, covered with a blanket. Apparently, he was sleeping or just lying with his eyes closed.

- Good morning, everyone! - Felix said in a friendly tone.

- Sorry, but there's no animal feed yet, - Hakeya said with feigned sadness. - You can go back to napping in your bed.

- Hakeya, I'll tape your mouth shut if I hear another word from you. - Adam said without looking up from his work.

- Ouch! A serious guy is threatening me with duct tape! I'm so scared!!

- Okay. - Adam went to the drawer and took out scissors and gray duct tape, quickly immobilized Hakeya with one hand and stuck a piece of cut duct tape on his face. Hakeya tried to take it off when he was released, but Adam immediately began to speak. - If you take it off, I'll tie you up completely and throw you in a dark room for the whole day.

In response, Hakeya, oddly enough, stopped trying to remove the duct tape and simply moaned. Yeah, that happened a few times.

- It's nice here. What's for breakfast? - Felix began to speak again.

- Pancakes with fruits and berries. - Adam answered him.

- Did we have fruits and berries?!

- Kirman brought them about 20 minutes ago.

- Wow.. Can you give me a couple of them? - Felix said, reaching for the nearest container of raspberries.

- I'll tie your hands now.

- Where's Kirman? - asked Shiny.

- He should be in his room or in the bathroom. Go see him a little later. - Adam answered, but his attention was drawn more to Hakei, who was dancing and at one point pointed towards the lying Mori.

- What happened to Mori?

- That idiot drove him to a nervous breakdown. - Adam answered, pointing to Hakei, who was dancing, showing not the most censored movements.

- And... Did I miss something? - asked Felix.

- Yes, and a lot. - a voice was heard from behind the guys. It was Kirman, who had a wet head, which meant that he had recently been in the bathroom.

- Oh. What?

- Well, you shouldn't have slept so long. - Adam intervened in the conversation. - Will you be as usual or will you eat pancakes with us?

- As usual.

- Okay. Wait a few minutes.

- Mm. - Kirman looked at Shiny. - Did they tell you that I wanted to talk to you?

- Yes. Did something happen?

- Should we go to the library?

Shiny nodded positively and followed Kirman. In fact, it couldn't really be called a library, since it was an ordinary room filled with shelves, some of which contained books, and others with some useless trinkets, armchairs were placed in the corners, and in the middle there was one small round table. The room was quite cozy, some of the guys often sat there until late at night, not even necessarily reading something. Kirman started a conversation when he entered the room.

- You know what happened to Mori today, right?

- I didn't know it would turn out like this either. Apparently I don't know what Hakei is capable of.

- He's capable of a lot, you just need to know how to stop him. I'd like to ask you to stay with Mori while we're on the road today.

- Are you releasing me from rehearsals?

- You can say that, but you'll have other tasks. For example, getting him in order before the concert. I just won't let him on stage until he can at least stand up.

- Yeah... Okay.

- I'll give you a list of things you'll have to do before we get back. - Kirman pulled a folded piece of paper out of his pants pocket, which a few seconds later was in Shiny's hands.

- Got it, I'll do it all.

Kirman nodded silently and headed towards the door, but before opening the door and walking out, he said one last thing:

"He only trusts you."

The door opened and Kirman walked out, heading towards the kitchen. Shiny was still holding a piece of paper in his hands, and when he unfolded it, he saw a to-do list written in Kirman's neat handwriting.

"

1. Feed Mori and get him ready for the evening.

2. Go to my room, find a flash drive in the top drawer of my desk and read the text (on my laptop. password: 23681082).

3. Prepare food for Felix, Hakei and Mori. You know what the first two need. Mori, just put some fruit or something simple on it.

"

The tasks weren't difficult, so Shiny should be able to handle it easily. Folding the note and putting it in his shorts pocket, he followed Kirman into the kitchen. There was already a heated argument there. Usually such arguments were caused by Felix's imagination or Hakei's jokes, but now it was due to the former, since Hakei's mouth was taped shut.

Having overheard some of the argument between Adam, Felix and the aggressively gesticulating Hakeya, who still hadn't managed to free his mouth, it became clear that the conversation was about why syrniki are called syrniki, but there is no cheese in them. This is a very interesting conversation...

- No way!! They definitely used to add cheese to syrniki!! - Felix continued to speak, while Hakeya regretted that he didn't know sign language. But Shiny did, who had already seen the fuck off messages twice.

- Felix, there used to be no word for "cottage cheese" and everything made from raw milk was called "cheese". - Adam argued, continuing to cook.

- Why didn't they rename them to "tvorozhniki" then? We don't live in a time when that word didn't exist, but syrniki are still called syrniki. Why?

- I think some people call them tvorozhniki. - Kirman, who was sitting at the kitchen table and reading something on his phone, intervened.

- Damn it. You're ruining all my childhood dreams. Now tell me that Santa Claus doesn't exist.

- I don't want to upset you.. - Adam said and chuckled cheerfully.

- Do you even know how to laugh?! - Felix almost shouted.

- Speak more quietly, we have a sleeping person here.

- Why don't you take such good care of me when I'm sleeping?

- You sleep because you don't do it at night, and he has a more important reason.

- Eh.. When will the food be ready?

- You can sit down at the table already.

Felix happily ran to his place at the table and sat down, happily waiting for breakfast. Kirman looked at him sideways, but almost immediately returned to reading. Shiny sat down too. His place was between Felix and Mori. Today, one of these places was empty. At the table, it was actually more difficult to assign seats, since it was impossible to make an ideal seating arrangement, but the best one that existed was found. At the round table, it looks like this - Shiny -> Mori -> Kirman -> Adam -> Hakeya -> Felix. The biggest problem was Hakeya, who irritated everyone. Felix and Adam are the ones who can tolerate or control him the best, so they became the best option. A couple of minutes later, Adam and Hakeya brought all the plates. They sat down and began to eat. Everyone except Kirman had pancakes with berries or fruits. He had oatmeal with raspberries. He ate this every breakfast. Perhaps he has a strange addiction to oatmeal.

Hakeya, with his mouth still taped, stared at Adam for about a minute, until he abruptly tore off the tape, to which Hakeya even quietly hissed and began to eat breakfast.

It should be noted that Adam and Mori are the best cooks of all the members of the group. Usually they cook breakfast together or one by one, but with an assistant. For some reason, Adam always chooses Hakea as his assistant, who does almost nothing. But if you compare the first time and today, Hakea has become at least a little more obedient.

Breakfast was very filling and tasty, so no one asked for more. All the guys except Mori and Shiny got ready and left for business. I would like to highlight how Felix fell on the stairs right on Adam, who was supervising the entire process of getting ready. Hakea, who was standing next to him, laughed so much that both of them started to have stomach pains, but they continued to laugh. It was very funny, but Adam still had to drag them to the car.

The guys left, and Shiny only had to do all the tasks assigned to him. He went to his room, put on his headphones and turned on the music. The first song to play was "Acid Tunnel of Love" by Tobi Fox. The guy went towards the kitchen and started cooking. It was necessary to make 3 lunchboxes and some food for Mori. He started with the first one. It was necessary to make a box with fruits and come up with the filling for two more boxes, taking into account preferences. Hakeya prefers "build it yourself" sets, and Felix likes berries with fruits and other simple products. If you rely on this, you can cook a lot. After Adam, washed fruits and berries were left in the kitchen. Taking one lunchbox with the inscription "Mori", Shiny began to put in what he was asked, but added crackers in the form of stars, which also became part of Hakeya's box, which also contained pieces of sausage and cheese, grapes, and chips. Felix's box received a mix of fruits with berries, cereal and two halves of an egg.

Looking at Mori, Shiny decided to cook him something to eat right away. The decision fell on yogurt with fruits, berries and cereal. It looked very appetizing, pouring a glass of water and placing them on the tea table near the sleeping Mori along with the plate, he walked away from the guy.

The next step was to read the text from the flash drive. Shiny quietly climbed the stairs and headed towards the farthest room, in which only Kirman lived. He opened the door and entered the room.

Approaching the nightstand and opening it, the guy took out the only white flash drive lying there among various papers and trinkets. Now the next step was to open the laptop. Shiny entered the password by number.

2-3-6-8-1-0-8-2.

The password worked and the main screen of the laptop appeared with all the applications. There were quite a lot of them, starting with instant messengers and ending with the usual 3 in a row. Shiny skipped it and simply inserted the flash drive. Soon a tab with one file in notepad opened. Opening it, the guy saw the inscription:

«06/27/78 18:00»

Whatever this inscription meant, Shiny understood only today's date and time. 18:00 is the very beginning of the concert. He will have to check with Kirman what this means.

Having turned off and closed the laptop, the guy headed towards the living room, closing the door behind him. He needed Mori. He needed to know that everything was okay.