Exception

IX. Emergency Meeting

Daehyun had to urge to create a typhoon and smash Minhyuk's windows into bits, but he didn't want to affect Lotte World and make Youngjae's day at the amusement park even worse than it already was. So he kept calm and kept an eye on the sky to make sure the sun was where it should be, with just the perfect cloud cover so it wasn't boiling hot.

The door opened seconds after he rang the doorbell, and instead of his boss, he was greeted by Jooheon. "Oh, Daehyun-hyung, you're here already. Come in..." He stepped back and opened the door wider. Daehyun didn't bother to take off his shoes, even though they were slightly damp from his flume ride earlier. Minhyuk was seated at the dining table, and was quickly joined by Jooheon. But Daehyun chose to remain standing.

"So, why are we here today?" Minhyuk asked. Daehyun's minor confusion faded when he realized it was actually Jooheon who called this meeting, not Minhyuk.

Jooheon shifted uneasily in his seat, struggling to find the correct words. He finally spoke, but kept his head down to avoid eye contact. "Frankly, I've been thinking about this since last night... But I didn't have to courage to tell you, Minhyuk-hyung. And I, I thought it'd be better if Daehyun-hyung knew about it too." Jooheon looked up at Daehyun. "So, thank you for coming at such a short notice. I know you were having fun... Anyway, these are just excuses I made for myself." Jooheon shut his eyes and shook his head briefly, trying to get a grip of himself.

Just say it, you've been delaying this for too long already.

Minhyuk started to feel concerned about Jooheon's nervous demeanour. Under the table, he placed one of his warm hands on top of Jooheon's cold ones that were resting on his lap. This caught Jooheon's attention, but his hyung's worried expression and encouraging smile only made his anxiety grow.

What am I doing? He's going to hate me after this... No! I have to say it, I have to. It's the only way to bring an end to this.

"I gathered you here today because I want to propose something." Jooheon, despite still uneasy, was now filled with determination. He took a deep breath and lifted his head. "Minhyuk-hyung, I want to stop this. All of this. And I'm sure Daehyun-hyung agrees with me."

Daehyun froze, his eyes widened. Subconsciously, he took a step back, moving further away from Minhyuk and closer to his escape route, in case things turned bad. Whatever it was that Jooheon was planning to share, it was definitely not this. Not something so reckless. He hoped his young friend knew what he was talking about, and had reasons to support his proposal.

Minhyuk's face fell, and he took his hand away from Jooheon's. "What do you mean?"

Jooheon's heart raced at Minhyuk's sudden coldness, but it was too late to turn back now. He forced himself to stare straight into Minhyuk's eyes. "I mean I want us to stop doing what we've been doing this past year. No more Storm Intruder, no more manipulating the weather, no more Robin Hood euphemism that you have been feeding me since we were kids."

Daehyun didn't understand the "we were kids" part, but considering all the "crimes" they committed in the past, he caught the Robin Hood reference. Instinctively, he searched Minhyuk's display case, and settled on the multiple donation certificates that stood proud. Stealing money from the rich and giving to the poor.

Minhyuk stood up abruptly, pushing his chair back so hard it would've toppled over if it weren't for the wall behind it. "It's not euphemism," he snapped, disgusted by the word. "It's justice. I thought you understood. We're doing good to the world. No, It's all for your good, Jooheon."

Jooheon had left his seat and retreated like a scared animal. Tears welled up in his eyes. "I thought it was—in fact it was, for a short time. But not now. You changed my past life into a better one, but we've gone too far. I'm sure you know this as well as anyone will: we're breaking the law. We're criminals. That doesn't make us superheroes anymore!"