Yeosang almost collapsed with relief at Hongjoong's words. As soon as the manager released his grip on his arm, Yeosang sprang forward to fall into his leader's arms. His arms wrapped around his hyung's tiny waist and he buried his face into Hongjoong's neck as he wept the tears he had been desperately holding back.
Hongjoong caressed his soft locks. But his gaze looked over the blond head to Manager Ho. The manager's mouth had become a hard line. He was obviously not impressed with Hongjoong's choice. He had given Hongjoong a chance to be a true leader and discipline his younger member, but Hongjoong had been too soft and weak. Stepping forward, Manager Ho grabbed Jongho roughly by the arm and jerked him forward and over to the dining table. He then let him go with a shove. Stumbling over his own feet, Jongho landed against the table. As he went to push himself back up, Manager Ho pressed his hand onto his lower back, holding him down with arms bent.
Manager Ho beckoned for the other two to come closer. As they slowly approached, Manager Ho pointed to the other side of the table.
"Both of you stand over there. While we go through this, I want all of you to reflect on your actions. Is that understood?"
"Yes, sir," Hongjoong murmured, leading Yeosang around to the other side.
As soon as they had both positioned themselves, Manager Ho turned to the maknae.
"Jongho, pass me your belt."
Jongho looked down at his waist, then back at the manager. Seeing the manager was growing more impatient by the second, Jongho reached down and slipped the belt out of his pant loops, before passing it wordlessly to the older man. As Manager Ho took it from him, he saw what had caused the maknae to hesitate. It was a thin but sturdy leather belt, meaning it would sting and almost cut like a whip. Glancing at Hongjoong and Yeosang who stood with heads bowed, he noted neither were wearing a belt at all. He glanced back at the belt again, suddenly feeling reluctant. He pulled Jongho close to him.
"I will give you a choice. You can go grab something from the kitchen, or just use the belt. I will warn you though, that the belt will hurt like hell."
Jongho glanced towards the kitchen, but flushed red as he thought of being punished like a child in front of his members.
"I will use the belt, sir."
Manager Ho nodded, but decided to give him one last chance. "Whatever you choose, is what Hongjoong gets."
Jongho was startled at this. He quickly glanced at his oblivious leader. What would hyung rather? Am I being selfish? But as the thoughts rushed through his head, so did another. It was Hongjoong-hyung who put me in this position. He chose Yeosang, even though it is all Yeosang's fault we are in this stupid situation. He nodded firmly. "I choose the belt, sir."
Manager Ho nodded, though his eyes darkened even further. So much for their loving family dynamic, he thought to himself as he pushed Jongho back down. He folded the belt and raised it high.
Thwack!
Jongho stood up with a gasp and half turned. But Manager Ho already had his hand on his collar, forcing him back down. Hongjoong and Yeosang had also both looked up at the first strike.
"Please, hyung-nim," Hongjoong now begged. "Just punish me. It was my fault. I should have been a better leader."
"Yes, you should have been," Manager Ho snapped at him. "That is why I allowed you to trade one of their places. You made your choice, so be quiet. The more you talk, the more you will get and the longer Jongho's punishment will be drawn out."
Hongjoong looked away, the frustrated tears glimmering in his eyes.
Thwack!
Jongho flinched hard, his hips smacking painfully into the table. But he bowed his head into his arms, not wanting his hyungs to see the tears.
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
Manager Ho paused, his right arm collapsing against his side. His left remained on Jongho's lower back, as if to tell him it wasn't yet over.
"Why are you here, Jongho?"
There was no answer from the maknae, just a deep shuddering gasp.
Thwack!
Jongho jolted forwards, a small sob finally breaking free. "I disobeyed and lied to Hongjoong-hyung, sir."
Manager Ho nodded. "I understand you were worried about Yeosang, and maybe even felt guilty for allowing him to leave, but you must always obey your elders, do you understand?"
Jongho nodded, his face still pressed against his bent arms. His silence seemed to awaken the manager's anger, for Manager Ho quickly brought the belt back up, before bringing it down sharply across Jongho's thighs.
THWACK!
Jongho let out a strangled sob, his legs collapsing beneath him.
"You will answer me verbally and with respect," Manager Ho snarled at him. "Do you understand?"
"Yes, sir," Jongho sobbed. "I am sorry, sir."
"I don't doubt it. Now lean back over. We are nearly done."
Jongho leaned heavily onto the table, pulling his body up to lay his chest back against the wooden surface. He stole a glance at his two hyungs, but immediately looked away as he saw they were both watching him. Yeosang was sobbing softly while Hongjoong cried in silence.
Manager Ho lifted the belt once more, aiming directly at Jongho's sit spots.
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
Manager Ho placed the belt on the table, before quickly grabbing Jongho's arm just as he was about to slump down on the floor. He pulled the unsteady maknae to his feet before guiding him over to the watching members. As Jongho went to pull away, his grip tightened on his arm.
"Do you have something to say, Jongho?"
Jongho lifted his head to meet the manager's gaze with his red swollen eyes. Then he bowed low. "I am sorry for my behavior yesterday, sir." He slowly turned to Hongjoong and bowed his head. "I am sorry for disobeying and trying to lie to you last night, hyung. Please forgive me."
Hongjoong said nothing, as he reached out to put his hand on Jongho's shoulder. To his shock, Jongho stepped away, denying his leader's comforting touch. Manager Ho turned to Hongjoong.
"Your turn, I believe."
To everyone's shock, Yeosang suddenly flung himself down on his knees at the manager's feet. His palms rubbed together as he bowed his head frantically. "It was my fault, hyung-nim. Punish me. Please don't hit our leader. It was my fault." He patted his chest, his eyes staring up pleadingly. "I did wrong, hyung-nim. Please, you can hit me a hundred times. Just don't punish Hongjoong-hyung."
Manger Ho tried to shove him off. "Yeosang, get up and act like a man."
Yeosang shook his head, his hands moving to grasp the manager's leg. "Please," he begged, the tears streaming fully from his eyes. "It was all me. Hongjoong-hyung had nothing to do with it."
Hongjoong could see the manager's anger and annoyance rising. He quickly leaned down and pulled Yeosang to his feet. "Yeosang-ah, please stop. It was my choice to trade places, so please respect it. Don't make things worse."
Yeosang could only nod tearfully before stepping back to stand beside Jongho.
Manager Ho gestured for Hongjoong to come forward, then turned to face the two younger members. "Jongho, you have been disciplined and that is the end of it. You may go to your room and rest. Yeosang, however, you will stay here and watch. You will think about the consequences your actions have caused and how it might end up affecting other people besides yourself. Do you understand?"
"Yes, sir," they both replied in union. Jongho then bowed his head to the manager and walked out without a second glance. Yeosang stared down at the floor, his hands clutched tightly before him.
Manager Ho sighed. "Yeosang, you will raise your head and you will watch. If not, I will just hit Hongjoong until you do."
Yeosang was visibly startled by the threat. He raised his watery eyes to look at his leader. "I am sorry, hyung," he murmured.
Hongjoong shot him a gentle smile, before taking a deep steadying breath and bracing himself against the table. He was scared. Terrified. He had never been hit like this. Eden had given him a few hard smacks before when he was a trainee, but that was different. He was younger then. And Eden was someone he knew and loved. To bend over and brace yourself to be struck by someone who wasn't much more than a stranger, felt vulnerable and humiliating. He felt a slight comfort that he had been able to spare Yeosang of it, but poor San...poor Jongho. He felt a wave of guilt rush over him as he thought of them. He should have comforted and supported San more. He should have protected Jongho. The maknae must be feeling so betrayed and neglected right now. Hongjoong was already crying hard, before the first blow fell. He was so distracted by the turmoil of his own mind, he let out a pained shriek as the belt whipped across his right thigh.
"Ahhh." He slid off the table, crouching to the floor. His head rested against the hard wood, as his hand moved to massage his leg in an attempt to rub away the pain. "I am sorry," he sobbed. "I am really sorry." The words were more for the absent Jongho, then to the impatiently waiting manager. He did not even wait for Manager Ho to tell him to stand back up. He clutched at the table's edge and pulled his thin body back over it. He deserved it, he told himself. For not looking out for San. For not being fair to Jongho. For not being understanding to Yeosang in the first place. He gasped as the belt landed three times in quick succession.
"Hongjoong," Manager Ho spoke up, still striking him though not as hard as the first few blows. "Why are you here?"
"Because...because..ah, please, it hurts."
Manager Ho surprisingly stopped, his hand falling to his side. "It is meant to hurt, Hongjoong. That is why it is called a punishment. Now answer me. Why are you in this position?"
Why is this so humiliating? though Hongjoong. His mind was clouded by the pain and he struggled to clear it. "Because...because I was a bad leader, sir."
Manager Ho sighed and pulled him to his feet. "Look at me, kid." When Hongjoong raised his tearful eyes, Manager Ho almost softened at the sorrowful guilty expression. He tried to harden himself, but when he spoke again, his voice was gentler than before. "You are not a bad leader. You just made several mistakes. Mistakes that can be used to improve yourself. What do you think those mistakes were, Hongjoong?"
Hongjoong frowned as he thought back to everything that had happened since the manager had first arrived. He scanned every small moment that came to his mind. And something struck him. He bowed his head in shame. "I have not been keeping the members in check and let them get away with many things I should not have. When Wooyoung laughed at you that very first day, I should have scolded him and asked him to apologize. Instead I said nothing and let you be the one to correct him."
"Why was that an issue?" Manager Ho asked, wanting to ensure he truly understood.
Hongjoong raised his arm and wiped his eyes with his sleeve. It was useless as his tears continued to trickle down. "Because when I overlook the small things, the members will keep stepping further out of line to test the boundaries. And soon they would not take me seriously. I am the leader and it is my job to ensure they maintain respect and obey the rules. By not correcting them, I am failing in my job as a leader, and therefore failing my members."
"What other mistakes might you have made?" Manager Ho continued.
"In the practice room, I let San disrespect and talk back to you. I said nothing and let Seonghwa try to handle the situation when it was my job. Even if I did not want to embarrass San, I could have made him apologize and then scolded him later on. I could even have removed San from the situation and scolded him outside. But I did not want to deal with it there and instead did nothing to fix the situation. I am sorry, sir."
Manager Ho nodded, before gesturing to Yeosang. "And his situation? Have you reflected on that?"
Hongjoong gave a small nod. "Yes sir. I should not have been so angry and indifferent to Yeosang. I was so wrapped in my own problems that I did not try to be understanding or talk to Yeosang about what might be bothering him. I have also known that Yeosang often runs away, and despite the dangers, I never spoke to him about it. I was so concerned about ruining the relationship with my members that I even overlooked issues that could lead to serious consequences whether by the company or even saesangs. And when Jongho disobeyed me, again I didn't discipline or even scold him. I then tried every way to stop you from punishing them and even tried to avoid it myself, once again, running away from my responsibilities as a leader. In doing so, I only hurt my dongsaengs even more."
Manager Ho looked satisfied with his answer. He turned to Yeosang. "Alright then, tell me what you reflected on, Yeosang."
Yeosang bowed his head. "What I did was really wrong. I knew I wasn't allowed to leave the dorm without permission and especially at night. I even dragged Jongho into it by making him promise not to tell anyone. Then when I was caught, I pressured Hongjoong-hyung to save me, until he ended up switching places. I knew I was wrong, so I should have accepted the punishment. I could have avoided the whole situation by just listening to Hongjoong-hyung in the first place. I am really sorry, sir. Please don't keep punishing hyung. I will accept the rest."
But the manager was shaking his head. "No, you all need to learn there are consequences to any choice you make. Keep that in mind, and maybe you won't go making so many stupid reckless decisions. Alright, Hongjoong. Let's finish this."
Hongjoong braced himself, trying to take deep breaths to steady his rapidly beating heart.
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
Hongjoong's legs gave way again and he slumped to the floor.
"Hongjoong, get back up. You still got more to go."
Hongjoong shook his head. "I can't, sir. Please, it hurts so much."
Manager Ho let out an impatient sigh, before grabbing Hongjoong's arm and pulling him to his feet. He leaned him over the table, pulling his arms out in front of him. "Yeosang, grab his hands and hold him over."
Yeosang obeyed, bursting into tears. But instead of holding his hands, he leaned over the table, his arms encircling his leader's shoulders in a comforting embrace. Hongjoong's arms wrapped about his younger member, breathing heavily. Stepping back, Manager Ho raised the belt again.
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
Hongjoong was crying and writhing under Yeosang's hold. Yeosang sobbed just as hard, his head resting against his leader's shoulder.
"One more, Hongjoong. But it will be the worse, so prepare yourself." Manger Ho told him. Hongjoong didn't care. He just wanted it to be over. He wanted Seonghwa so bad. To be able to cling to his hyung and be held.
THWACK!!!
Hongjoong screamed, pulling out of Yeosang's embrace and collapsing back. Manager Ho caught him, just before he hit the floor. His arms circled under the younger man's arms, holding up his limp body.
"I am sorry, sir. I am sorry," sobbed Hongjoong, trying to stand, but his legs not allowing him.
Manager Ho felt queasy and uncomfortable. He had never been in this situation before. And it uncomfortable reminded him of his younger days, before his father had been imprisoned. But surely, he had not been that harsh. Maybe these kids were more sensitive. He looked down at the sobbing leader, and saw his youth for the first time. Hongjoong did look quite young and small. Sighing at these unfamiliar feelings, Manager Ho swooped the young leader up, bridal style.
"Yeosang," he said, turning to the younger man who was standing anxiously at his side, his hand rubbing the leader's back. "You go upstairs and call the others back. Tell Seonghwa to come see to Hongjoong and that some of the others should go to Jongho. Don't all go and crowd him. Just send Yunho since he is the oldest, and maybe Mingi since I heard they were close. I am sure you know who to send."
Yeosang bowed his head. He wasn't used to seeing this side of the typically bad-tempered cold manager. "Yes, sir."
Manager Ho nodded and headed up the stairs. He carried Hongjoong into the shared bedroom and gentle lowered him onto the bed, turning him onto his stomach. Hongjoong was almost asleep, his eyes shut as he continued to weep softly. Manager Ho stared at him. The more he stared, the more Hongjoong seemed to change to a dark haired teenager, like a bitter reflection of the past. Shaking away the memories, Manager Ho quickly turned and left the room.