TW: abuse, mentions depression, addiction, alcoholism, slight violence
"Jake," Heeseung whispered, eyeing the CEO from across the courtroom.
"What?" The younger boy breathed.
"Tell me that thing you told our lawyer again, what YangYang sunbaenim said about companies protecting sasaengs."
Jake nodded. "Yeah. Apparently, it's a common practice."
~
Jake absentmindedly twiddled his thumbs. "So, what were you saying earlier about BTS?"
"Just that I'm glad the sasaengs WayV has currently aren't as crazy as theirs." Yangyang shivered. "I don't want to think of what might happen if we had a sasaeng like that. A pyromaniac? Ugh. Our whole dorm would burn down."
"I mean, there's no way your company would ever let a sasaeng get that far."
Yangyang let out a dry laugh. "I don't know about that. It'd make really great press."
Jake frowned. "What do you mean?"
"Ah, nothing." Yangyang glanced around apprehensively. "You know. It's like how the companies do it on purpose."
"Do what?"
"Don't fight the sasaengs. Or, uh, pretend to open investigations and take legal action when they really have no intention of stopping them."
"Why would they do that?" Jake asked, disgusted. "Why would anybody do that?"
"It's a marketing strategy. Sasaengs bring more money and publicity."
~
"Jake! Heeseung!" Sunghoon hissed. "Are you paying attention?"
Heeseung jolted, his elbow hitting the back of his chair. He rubbed his funny bone, groaning as he glanced to his left. "Thanks a lot, Sunghoon."
"Excuse me?" Sunghoon scowled. "Do you want to sleep in our bed tonight or not?"
Heeseung sheepishly grinned. "I do."
The younger boy stared at him for a moment before huffing in contempt, crossing his legs, and turning away.
Jake silently face-palmed. "Heeseung hyung, have you learned nothing from this past month?"
"Don't worry about it." Heeseung gave a sly smile as he shifted his weight so that Jake could see under the table. "I've got it handled."
On Heeseung's thigh rested two hands, fingers loosely woven together. The paler sat on top, prim and dainty, but no less alert. Nails playfully dug into a pinch of Heeseung's tanned skin, forcing a quiet yelp from the older boy.
"Do you?" Sunghoon hummed amusedly, his eyes never leaving the judge before them.
The look of confusion on Heeseung's face had both Jake and Sunghoon silently laughing.
"Guys!" Jungwon scolded, leaning forward to look past Sunghoon. "You're being distracting."
The three boys apologetically righted themselves, returning their attention to the trial. A prosecutor from the police station stood in front of the witness stand, holding an evidence bag containing a pair of orange pill bottles. The CEO sat behind the platform, his gaze unfaltering.
"Sorry," Jake murmured to Jungwon. "What's happening now?"
"They're bringing out stuff the police found when they raided the CEO's office and home," Jungwon quietly reported.
Sunghoon nodded in agreement.
"Your honor, if I may interrupt," the CEO spoke slowly, his demeanor calm and composed. "Those pills aren't mine. According to company policy, any prescriptions that fall under Class C or higher for controlled substances must be received and distributed by the company to reduce risk of artist misuse."
He paused, glancing at the Belift table. "ADHD medications are all considered Class B. The true owner of the Methylphenidate is Choi Beomgyu."
A gasp rippled through the crowd, immediately followed by the scratching of pens on paper as the reporters in the back furiously jotted down their assumptions. Heeseung uneasily glanced over his shoulder, all too familiar with the speed at which rumors, particularly bad ones, could spread.
"Your honor!" The head attorney of Belift's team of lawyers abruptly stood up, her hand striking the table. "Motion to strike that from the record! That was a complete violation of the Personal Information Protection Act; amendment two under article three states-"
"Objection, your honor!" The CEO's primary lawyer quickly rose to his feet. "My client has the right to disclose any-"
"Silence!" The judge turned towards the stands. "The jury is to disregard the Methylphenidate until further evidence is submitted to the court."
Exasperated, she glanced at the two attorneys fuming at each other from across the room. "Must I remind you that all parties must engage in discovery prior to court? Any more trial by ambush and I will have you both removed from this case."
The tables of lawyers sitting on either side of the courtroom murmured anxiously, their papers rustling as they reviewed their notes.
Belift's primary attorney raised her hand. "Your honor, the plaintiff's legal counsel requests a brief recess to process the new evidence and engage in discourse with our clients."
"Granted." The judge pounded her gavel. "Trial will reconvene on the seventh. Bail will remain set at ten million won. Court dismissed!"
A ripple of whispered outrage passed through the room, fading as quickly as it came. Heeseung watched in disbelief as the lawyers and reporters around them began packing up their briefcases and cameras. Mei and Jihun shared a look of disdain, rising from their seats at the far end of the Belift table.
"Noona." Daniel tapped Mei's arm with the urgency of a curious child. "What does that mean?"
"The CEO gets to walk free for the price of a hot tub," Mei said bitterly. "At least until the trial is over and an official ruling has been made."
Heeseung pursed his lips unhappily, turning towards Beomgyu. "Are you okay?"
The older boy nodded. "I... I guess my ADHD diagnosis would have been revealed to the public sooner or later. At least it's over now."
"Not quite yet," Mei said grimly. "Just wait 'till we pass the reporters outside."
Yeonjun tediously stood up, glancing down at his ankle boot. "It's best if we split up. Jake, Heeseung, Beomgyu, Jungwon, Soobin, and Sunoo, you guys head to the first van with Mei noona. The rest of us will go with Jihun hyung in the second van."
The boys all nodded in agreement, sidestepping closer to their assigned groupmates. They cautiously made their way through the courthouse. Kai took a deep breath before pushing open the polished double doors leading outside.
"Beomgyu-ssi! Beomgyu-ssi!"
"Ignore them!" Heeseung shouted as they were shoved sideways by the roaring crowd.
Their security guards, who had been waiting outside, were hopelessly outnumbered. Heeseung kept a firm grip on Sunoo's arm as they pushed through the sea of bodies.
"Beomgyu-ssi! Beomgyu-ssi!" One reporter managed to wiggle through the frontlines, shoving his microphone into Beomgyu's face. "Is it true that you've been smuggling illegal drugs into the country?"
"What? No! I- I'm not-" Beomgyu stammered.
Soobin pulled him away.
"Beomgyu-ssi! Look here!"
"On your right, Beomgyu-ssi!"
"Your left! Your left!"
"Behind you, Beomgyu-ssi!"
A thousand lights flashed in Beomgyu's face. He ducked his head, hiding under Soobin's arm as their security guard dragged them towards a van. Heeseung and Sunoo were right behind them, fighting their way through the hoard of reporters. The seconds seemed to drag on until finally, Heeseung heard the victorious sound of a car door opening.
The four of them practically tripped over one another as they rushed to get into the van. Heeseung lay sprawled across the leather seats of the middle row, Sunoo pinned beneath him, while Soobin and Beomgyu were a tangled mess of limbs on the floor. Jake and Jungwon both grimaced, each sitting at the innermost seat of the back and middle rows, respectively.
"You guys good?" Jake winced, watching the four boys pull themselves up.
"Yeah," Heeseung panted, massaging his arm where a reporter's nail had left a long red mark. He glanced at the back row. "Beomgyu, how you holding up?"
The older boy shook his head, fastening his seatbelt. "Slightly annoyed, but what's done is done."
Jungwon pulled out his phone and began furiously typing away. "Jihun hyung said everybody made it to their car. We're all good too, right?"
Heeseung quickly scanned the van, counting six heads including himself. "Yep, we're just waiting on Mei noona."
The volume of the shouting increased again as the door opened and Mei dove into the driver's seat. She slammed the door shut after herself, breathing heavily.
"Whew." She took a moment to fix herself, brushing her hair out of her face before humorously turning to face the boys. "What a day, huh?"
"And it's not even two o'clock yet," Jake sighed from the back seat.
Soobin solemnly shook his head. "The worst is yet to come. We still have our meeting with the CEO in the evening."
"Don't remind me," Heeseung groaned, slumping in his seat. He winced, gingerly touching his forehead.
"You okay?" Sunoo tilted his head, gazing at the older boy. "Did you get hurt?"
"Nah. Just a headache from the cameras flashing," Heeseung yawned, stretching his arms. "I'm okay. Sunghoon carries Advil for me; I'll find him once we get out of here."
Mei gently smiled, noting Heeseung's bleary eyes. "Court's draining, isn't it?"
"Oh yeah," Jungwon nodded. "I don't know how lawyers and judges do it."
"I know, right?" Mei clicked on her seatbelt. "It was always my least favorite part of being a detective. Too many politics and opinions for one room."
She put the car into gear, one head resting on top of the steering wheel. "Everybody ready?"
Heeseung stared out the tinted windows, watching hungry faces press against the glass in worthless attempts to catch a glimpse of the idols within.
"Ready as we'll ever be," he sighed as the car began inching forward.
***
Eunji anxiously scanned the airport, her fingers fidgeting on the handle of her suitcase. "Hey, let's keep this short in case Belift's location leaks. Anyways, we've already said goodbye five times in the last-"
"You're out of your mind if you think we're keeping this short." Jihun set the locks on his wheelchair before glancing up at Eunji, arms outstretched. "You're moving all the way back to Japan, Hayashi. You better bring it in; you owe us all at least that."
Eunji let go of her suitcase, flustered as she leaned in to awkwardly hug Jihun, taking care not to aggravate his injuries. "It was a pleasure working with you."
"Oh, stop being so formal," Jihun teased as they broke apart. "We're friends."
"Are we?" Eunji joked. "I thought we were just hostage buddies, Lee."
"Oh god," Mei laughed, tossing a lock of hair over her shoulder. She pulled Eunji into a lengthy hug. "My turn. So, how did my dad handle the news of you quitting?"
"The CEO?" Eunji humorously shook her head. "Oh, he was pissed. At first, he wouldn't accept my letter of resignation. Called me a coward for running when the water got too hot."
"Well, I think you're brave," Mei said. "It takes a lot to stand up for yourself against someone like him."
Eunji shyly smiled into the younger woman's shoulder. They stayed in an embrace, Eunji's straight black hair striking against the wavy brown of Mei's. When they finally pulled apart, both women were slightly misty-eyed.
"Is it our turn yet?" Daniel huffed impatiently. "I want to give Eunji noona my card."
The three adults snorted, glancing over at the Belift boys with adoration.
Mei stepped back, raising her hands in mock surrender. "She's all yours."
Eunji grinned, turning to face the thirteen idols. "Hey, kiddos."
The boys broke out into quiet laughter. They each took turns bidding their former manager farewell with goodbyes ranging from Heeseung's ninety-degree bow of respect to Jake's indecisive high-five-turned-fistbump. Ni-ki hung near the back of the group, hesitant to approach their departing friend. Finally, after Eunji had made it through all twelve of his members, he cautiously stepped up.
"Noona," Ni-ki quietly said. "What if you forget about us?"
"Impossible," Eunji smiled, pulling her purse strap up to her shoulder. She hesitated for a moment before hugging Ni-ki, an act of affection she'd only shown to Mei and Jihun, both of whom had left her with little say in the matter. "You boys are the best thing that's ever happened to me."
Jihun loudly cleared his throat. "Well, I mean, I did kind of take a bullet for yo-"
Eunji rolled her eyes. "All of you are the best thing that's ever happened to me."
She fondly ruffled Ni-ki's hair. "Take care of yourself, Ni-ki ah."
The younger boy nodded tearfully, watching Eunji gather her things. "Goodbye, noona."
Eunji smiled, glancing over her shoulder. "Goodbye, Ni-ki."
She stood up straight, facing the escalator, and exhaled slowly. Several travelers passed by them.
She turned back. "Ni-ki?"
The younger boy met her eyes. Eunji spoke a few sentences in formal Japanese before turning around and stepping onto the moving staircase. Heeseung looked to Jay, seeking a translation.
"It's hard to translate directly." Jay's face scrunched in concentration. "I think, um."
He took a deep breath. "Don't worry yourself with the little things, Ni-ki. Explore the world. We only have one life to see it all. And when you're done? Japan will always be a home to come back to."
Heeseung glanced back over to Ni-ki. He walked up to the younger boy, smiling as he hung an arm around his shoulders. Together, they watched Eunji disappear into the distance.
***
"What's that?" Heeseung peered over Sunoo's shoulder as he locked their dorm's front door.
"Gift basket from ATEEZ," the younger boy answered. "Yeosang hyung and Yunho hyung just dropped it off."
"You guys speak informally?" Heeseung frowned. "When did you get so close to them?"
Sunoo grinned, spinning around and crossing the room to add ATEEZ's gift basket to their ever-growing collection of presents from their industry friends on the kitchen counter. "Hyung, just because you're an introvert and refuse to leave your cave of a room during the daytime, doesn't mean the rest of us don't get out."
Sunghoon, Jay, Kai, and Beomgyu burst out laughing from across the room. Heeseung ignored them, sticking his tongue out at Sunoo.
Daniel sighed, laying his head on the kitchen table in dismay. "Twelve hyungs and the only one more mature than me is the third youngest."
"Aww, Daniel!" Jungwon glanced up from the living room couch, grinning. "Thank you!"
"Whatever, man. What's this?" Ni-ki wandered over, picking up a small green card tucked into the gift basket. He glanced around, smirking before reading out loud, "Fighting, Taehyun! My hyungs and I watched Belift's debut and we were all so amazed at your high notes! Guess our practice sessions paid off, huh? Wishing you all the best of luck in court. Make your bastard CEO pay, haha. Let's catch up sometime soon. Signed, Jongho hyun-"
Taehyun sprang up from the tiny desk in the corner of the living room, hurdling over the couch to get to the kitchen. He snatched the card from Ni-ki's grasp. "That's not for you."
"Obviously," Ni-ki giggled, scurrying off as Taehyun read Jongho's card with a wide smile on his face.
"Hey," Beomgyu called, crossing his arms stubbornly. "Stop smiling. Only I'm allowed to make you smile."
"Please," Taehyun scoffed. "Keep your hair on. Jongho hyung and I used to meet at night to practice singing. He helped me expand my vocal range, that's all."
"Yeah, and I helped you expand your-"
"Where's this going, Beomgyu?" Heeseung warned.
"-emotionally capacity by fake dating you and breaking your heart and then real dating you and fixing your heart and then marrying you and-"
"You haven't married me," Taehyun snorted.
"Yet." Beomgyu winked, shooting Taehyun with a pair of finger guns.
The younger boy rolled his eyes, turning away to hide his pleased grin.
Kai sighed dramatically. "Ridiculous. All of them. Now can somebody get a towel? The fridge is leaking again."
He crouched in front of the magnet-decorated doors, touching the puddle of water peeking out from beneath the machine.
"Use this for now." Yeonjun tossed the boy a rag from the kitchen sink.
"Thanks, noona." Kai began mopping up the spill.
Eight heads turned towards him. The dorm fell to baffled silence as Daniel and the Enhypen members stared at the kitchen, dumbfounded.
Kai tossed aside the wet rag, glancing up. "What?"
Sunoo tilted his head, perplexed. "You just called Yeonjun hyung 'noona.'"
"Oh." Kai awkwardly scratched the back of his neck. "Um."
Yeonjun hesitantly opened his mouth. "He... He used to call me noona sometimes in TXT."
The I-Landers slowly nodded, still confused.
"...Well do you like being called noona?" Jungwon questioned.
Heeseung caught Taehyun's gaze from across the room. They both subtly glanced between Jay and Jungwon before meeting eyes again.
"I... I don't mind." Yeonjun played with his sleeve, fixated on the countertop. "I don't know. It's just something that started happening."
Jungwon looked down at his phone again. "Oh. Okay. Well, just remember that you can tell us anything, hyung."
"I don't mind you guys calling me noona either," Yeonjun blurted, glancing up. "Just sometimes. I like 'hyung' too."
Jungwon smiled, eyes flitting up from his screen. "Okay, noona. Get some rest. You look like you haven't slept in a week."
"I haven't," Yeonjun quietly laughed as he left the room. "But thanks."
Heeseung made eye contact with Taehyun again. He tilted his head towards Jungwon, signaling Taehyun to move first.
The younger boy shook his head. "You go," he mouthed.
Heeseung scowled. He crossed his arms stubbornly.
"Oh, For the love of God." Sunoo rolled his eyes. He leaned over his board game, whispering something into Beomgyu's ear.
The older boy nodded understandingly before standing up. "Jay, can I borrow something of yours to wear for our meeting with the CEO later today? There are a lot of reporters hovering around the HYBE building, and, well, you know. They're going to take pictures of us and I should..."
Taehyun glared at Beomgyu from behind Jay's back. "Wrap it up!" He gestured.
"...look nice and professional for the photos since the entire country thinks I'm a drug addict—which I'm not—but I don't have any good clothes because I haven't done laundry in a while since I've been busy with- with-" Beomgyu glanced around feverishly. "-just everything that's been going on lately and..."
Taehyun quietly face-palmed.
"...so in conclusion, please help me!" Beomgyu grabbed Jay's arm and towed the boy into a bedroom before anyone could say anything.
As soon as they were gone, Taehyun, Heeseung, and Sunoo jumped up.
"Hey, Jungwon..." Taehyun casually sat down beside the younger boy, hanging an arm over his shoulders. "How have things been for you lately?"
Jungwon set his phone down, slowly glancing around. "Sunoo hyung told you guys what I said yesterday about Jay hyung, didn't he?"
"Yes. No. Maybe." Sunoo pressed his lips together, gently touching Jungwon's arm. "I'm just concerned. I think you should talk to people who are in a similar situation, you know, with being really close to their partners all the time. Relationships without space can feel suffocating, but there's ways to work around that."
"It's more than just not having space," Jungwon sighed. "I'm the reason Jay hyung doesn't talk to his parents anymore. They hate me."
"Technically only his dad," Heeseung remarked.
Sunoo sent him a glare of warning. "But that's not your fault. No matter who Jay hyung dates, his dad won't approve unless it's a pretty, skinny, light-skinned girl from a wealthy background. You know how rich families can be."
Jungwon hung his head. "But looking past even all that. This is a me problem too. I'm scared. I'm only seventeen years old and I've met the love of my life?"
He pulled his knees to his chest. "I haven't dated anybody else. I haven't even really crushed on anybody else. How do I know he's the one?"
Taehyun tilted his head thoughtfully. "Well, my first love was Beomgyu. My first boyfriend was Beomgyu. My first real kiss was Beomgyu. Beomgyu's taken most of my firsts and I'm pretty sure he's going to keep taking them for the rest of my life. Just because he's your first, doesn't mean he can't also be your last."
Jungwon frowned. "Wait, what firsts do you have left?"
Taehyun grinned cheekily. "I'm not sure I'm allowed to answer that in the presence of minors."
"Ah!" Jungwon covered his ears. "It's different, though."
"Why?"
"It just is. You're one hundred percent sure Beomgyu hyung is the one for you. How do I know Jay hyung's the one for me?"
"Well, Beomgyu and I didn't always know for sure. It was mostly after the time we spent apart that we realized we wanted to be with each other. That we wanted to choose each other."
Jungwon's eyes flitted to the floor. "So we need to spend some time apart."
Taehyun winced. "Wait, I didn't mean-"
"No, hyung, you're right. We need time to grow as individuals. We'll never know what we can be alone if we're always together."
"That doesn't mean you have to break up with him, Jungwon." Heeseung gazed at him sadly. "You can still grow with him."
"I can't. You know as well as I know, hyung. Two trees can never grow to their full potential if they're right next to each other. There's just not enough space." Jungwon stood up, exhaling deeply. "I'll give myself a day to think it over."
He left the room. Taehyun, Sunoo, and Heeseung stared at each other in shock.
"Did we just...?" Heeseung started before trailing off.
Sunoo awkwardly cleared his throat. "Well, shit."
***
"Sunghoon?"
"Mm?"
Heeseung crept into the bedroom, quietly shutting the door behind himself. "My head hurts."
"Come here." Sunghoon set his book aside and patted his lap. "You want some more Advil?"
"Nah, just need to lay down for a minute." Heeseung crawled into bed, resting his head on the younger boy's thigh. He inhaled deeply, his mind buzzing happily at the scent of Sunghoon's cologne.
The younger boy checked his watch. "Take a nap, hyung. I'll wake you in a few hours. Meeting with the CEO is at eight-thirty, right?"
"Yeah," Heeseung smiled gratefully. "Thanks, Hoon."
Sunghoon quietly giggled, slipping his hand up Heeseung's shirt to gently scratch his back. "Anytime. Sleep well, Heeseungie. I'll be right here."
***
"Heeseung," Sunghoon urgently whispered. "Heeseung, wake up."
"What?" Heeseung groaned, stretching out on his back. He opened his eyes, discovering that the room was much darker than before. "Is it time to go?"
"No, but..." Sunghoon pursed his lips. "It's Taehyun. He's been in the shower for almost an hour. Refuses to come out."
"Fuck," Heeseung sighed, rolling out of bed. He quickly pulled on a sweater and left the bedroom, finding the others waiting for him in the hallway.
Beomgyu exhaled slowly, his forehead pressed against the locked bathroom door. "Tae. Please, talk to me. What's going on?"
A grumbled "nothing, go away" sounded from within.
Heeseung passed by his worried members, grabbing the communal emergency key from the desk in the living room before returning to the hallway. He gently knocked on the wall. "Taehyun, it's Heeseung hyung. Is it okay if I unlock the door? We just want to check on you."
A moment passed before they received a defeated "Yes."
Heeseung unlocked the door and stepped aside, allowing Beomgyu to enter first. A wall of steam descended on them, dispersing into the hallway air. Heeseung pursed his lips, catching a glimpse of their blurry reflections in the fogged-up glass mirror.
"Taehyun." Beomgyu's voice was relieved but shaky as he peeled back the shower curtain.
Taehyun sat on the bathtub floor, facing the faucet. He hugged his legs, chin resting on his knees as he stared at the drain with hollow eyes. Water ran down his bare back, the shower raining down on him like a never-ending torrent keeping him anchored to the floor.
"You okay?" Beomgyu whispered, his face etched with worry. "You've been in here for almost an hour."
The younger boy's head drooped under the weight of his sodden hair. "I was just taking a break."
Beomgyu slowly swallowed, rolling up his sleeves. He took a knee beside the bathtub, reaching a hand in to feel the downpour. Though he didn't say anything, Taehyun's eyes closed with shame and exhaustion.
"I know it's hot," he mumbled. "I just like the heat."
"That's okay," Beomgyu quietly reassured. "I do too. I'm going to turn down the temperature a bit, okay?"
He twisted the knob for the hot water, one hand still feeling the water. After a minute, he nodded, satisfied. Heeseung watched the older boy take off his socks, tossing them into a pile with Taehyun's dirty clothes before climbing into the bathtub behind him.
"Alright, lover boy." Beomgyu placed his palm on Taehyun's forehead, blocking water from running into the younger boy's face. He gently kissed the back of Taehyun's head. "Let's get you cleaned up."
The faint ring of a doorbell echoed their dorm.
Heeseung turned around, confused.
"It's probably Kai," Beomgyu hummed as he lathered shampoo into Taehyun's hair. "He left his keys in the dorm when he went out with Yeji noona and Yuna."
"He went out with them?"
"Yeah, about an hour after you fell asleep."
Heeseung frowned. He left the bathroom, gently shutting the door after himself, and followed the rest of his members to the living room. The front door swung open and two tipsy girls stumbled in, followed by a nonchalant Kai.
"Oh, hey guys," the boy smiled, tucking his dorm key into his pocket. "Sorry 'bout the doorbell. Yuna pressed it before I could stop her."
He crossed the floor, disappearing into a bedroom as if to fetch something.
"I like doorbells," Yuna giggled, swaying precariously while clinging to a chair at the kitchen counter. She suddenly gasped, as if coming to a realization. "It's like a pole!"
"What?" Heeseung started, but before he could even finish his thought, the girl dropped, her hands flying into the air as she rolled her body to an imaginary beat.
"Whoo!" Yuna flipped her hair.
Heeseung never moved faster, whipping around to divert his gaze out of respect. Ni-ki and Daniel dove to the ground, burying their heads in the blankets strewn across the room as Jake collapsed onto the couch, laying an arm over his eyes. Jungwon, Jay, and Sunghoon stared intently at the walls while Sunoo fought the smile of support spreading across his face.
Yeonjun watched in amusement, taking a seat beside Jake. "Rookies," he snorted.
Soobin shook his head, laughing. "Come on, Yeji. The I-Landers haven't been idols for long. They're still in their 'act-like-you've-never-interacted-with-a-female' phase."
"Fine, fine," the older girl laughed, grabbing Yuna's hand. "Yuna, stop it; you're scaring the babies. And hey, Yeonjun, where's the bathroom?"
She adjusted her purse on her shoulder, looking around thoughtfully.
Sunoo politely pointed at a bedroom. "You can use the one in there. Taehyun hyung's showering in the hallway bathroom."
As Yeji wandered away, Yuna's gaze fell upon Jake.
"You're Jake, right?" She called. "Isn't that Kai's sweatshirt?"
Jake slowly nodded.
"Oh. Weird," Yuna laughed. "Guess he changed his mind."
Jake frowned, tilting his head. "Changed his mind about what?"
"Letting people wear that hoodie. It's his favorite; he always jokes that only his future partner is allowed to borrow it." Yuna studied her nails as Jake blinked in surprise.
"...I'm Kai's boyfriend," he said slowly.
Yuna's mouth fell open as she looked up. "No way. Really? He didn't tell us! Ugh, that cheat!"
Jake's face fell just as Kai emerged from a bedroom, carrying two coats and a purse.
"Yuna, you ready? Uber's outside." Kai glanced around. "Where'd Yeji noona go?"
"Here! I'm here!" Yeji reentered the room, grinning as she took their belongings from Kai. "Yeah, we're ready. Come on, Yuns."
She grabbed the younger girl's arm, towing her out of the dorm. Kai stuck his head out the door, peering down the outdoor walkway that tunneled through their building to make sure the two girls made it safely to their Uber. After a minute, he happily shut the front door, only to turn around and be met by Jake's dissatisfied gaze.
"I promise I didn't have anything," Kai immediately sighed. "I told you earlier; I was the designated sober friend."
Jake's skepticism must've shown through his face because Kai was quick to cross the room, kneel before the younger boy, and take his hand.
"Jake, you have to understand that this is just who my friends are. They like to go out. They like to get drunk. I can't ask them to change for me." Kai pursed his lips. "But I promise you, I haven't taken part in anything since we talked. I'll walk in a straight line, I'll take a breathalyzer; whatever you need to believe me."
"I don't want to have to test you to trust you," Jake muttered. "Just... Clubbing, Kai? During the day? At a time like this?"
The room was silent.
Hurt flashed across Soobin's face as he stared at the floor, reliving all of the times he and Yeonjun had had the same exact conversation. He looked up, meeting Yeonjun's guilt-ridden eyes for just a second, and his entire demeanor shifted.
"Where is it?" Soobin breathed, abruptly pushing off from the wall he leaned against.
"Where is what?" Jungwon questioned.
Heeseung's heart fell. He wasn't quite sure what was going on—he never really was when it came to Yeonjun's struggles; Soobin always refused to talk about them—but he'd spent enough time around the CEO to know that there never really was an end to the battle with addiction.
"Yeonjun," Soobin said, on the verge of tears. "Where is it? Where did she put it?"
Yeonjun mumbled something under his breath.
"Answer me," Soobin snapped. "Where'd Yeji hide it?"
"Bathroom," Yeonjun muttered. "Under the sink, behind the cleaning supplies. Bottle of mouthwash."
Soobin stormed away, returning a moment later with a half-filled liter-sized bottle of Listerine. The dorm watched in silence as he dumped the bottle's contents into the kitchen sink.
"Is that all?"
"Yes."
"Is it really?"
"Yes."
Soobin's stony gaze broke. He collapsed into a chair at the kitchen table, hiding his head in his hand as he began to cry.
"Don't be mad at Yeji," Yeonjun begged, standing up. He followed Soobin to the kitchen, his ankle boot clunking loudly, and hovered beside the younger boy's chair as if hesitant to take a seat. "I asked her to do it."
"I'm not mad at her." Soobin took a deep breath, wiping his cheek with his sleeve. He reached into his pocket. "She needs help, just like you do."
"I don't..." Yeonjun's voice faltered as his gaze fell upon the business card in Soobin's hands.
"I can't handle this by myself," Soobin said softly. "I need help."
"What's on the card?" Ni-ki whispered.
Soobin's eyes never left Yeonjun's face as he replied, "Rehab specialist. Nurse at the hospital gave it to us after finding out Yeonjun relapsed at the concert."
"Ah."
Yeonjun pursed his lips. "Please, Soobin."
"No." The younger boy looked up. "I've learned so much from you, Yeonjun. Dancing, singing, rapping. But the most important thing you've taught me is how to say 'no.' And I'm saying it now. To you. No."
Yeonjun stared at Soobin for a minute before slowly sinking into a chair at the table. He slid his phone over to Soobin. "Okay. Let's call, together. Set up an appointment or whatever."
Soobin lightly smiled as Jay checked his watch.
"Hey, guys..." the younger boy casually interrupted. "It's almost eight pm. We really need to get going."
Heeseung nodded. "Yeah, start getting ready, guys. We have our meeting with the CEO soon."
Jake and Kai locked eyes. As the noise level in the dorm returned to its normal volume, the two boys remained still, uttering not a single word to each other.
***
"Soobin!" Mei waved at the boy from down the hallway of the HYBE building. "Can you come here for a minute?"
The older boy shot Heeseung a confused look before wandering away from the group.
"What's that about?" Sunoo asked.
Heeseung shrugged, herding the eleven remaining boys into a meeting room. He shivered anxiously as they took seats around a conference table. The last time they were here, they had been escorted by the military alongside BTS. The time before that, they'd voted Heeseung the leader of Belift. And the time before that, the very first time they'd been in this room, the CEO had dropped news of the Belift merge on TXT and Enhypen.
"Hey." Sunghoon sat in the office chair beside Heeseung and they joined hands under the table. "It's alright. Nothing they tell us can possibly be worse than what we've already been through."
Heeseung slowly nodded, unsure if he truly believed that statement. A minute passed before Soobin entered the room, joining the rest of Belift around the table. They sat in silence for another minute until the door creaked open again, alerting them of the CEO's arrival.
Heeseung carefully watched the neatly-dressed man cross the room, walking along the lengthy rectangular table behind Daniel, Jay, Jake, Soobin, Yeonjun, and Kai. He carried with him a short stack of tan file folders, which he set down just before taking a seat at the head of the table.
"What's that?" Ni-ki asked curiously, reaching out to touch the folders. He froze, quickly retracting his hand. "Sorry."
Heeseung held his breath, expecting a snarky response back from the CEO.
Instead, the man simply replied, "Job applications for Eunji's position. Shall we get this meeting started?"
Heeseung stared at him impassively. "You're lucky we agreed to meet at all. We're not supposed to be here without our lawyers."
"Oh, relax. This has nothing to do with the court case. It's about the future of Belift."
"Be:Lift as in the company or Belift as in our group?" Sunoo asked.
"Both." The CEO leaned back in his chair, casually crossing his legs. "Daniel, TXT, Enhypen. You need to be packed up and out of the dorm by Friday."
"Wait, wait. What's going on?" Jay eyed the older man suspiciously. "Are we moving? Already?"
"Yes. There's no need for two different groups to live in the same dorm."
"Two different groups?" Kai frowned. "We're one group. Belift."
The CEO checked his watch. "Not as of four pm yesterday."
"What?" Sunghoon leaned forward, subtly squeezing Heeseung's hand under the table out of anger. "What do you mean?"
"Yeah, um. Explain, please," Sunoo added.
"Jesus Christ, you want a whole history of the decision? Fine." The CEO rubbed his face. "Two months ago, Be:Lift made a bad partnership. The other company found a loophole to get out of our contract and steal nearly all of our funds."
He loosened his tie, tugging the piece of fabric off and tossing it onto the table beside his folders.
"Besides us, the people who had the most to lose if Be:Lift went bankrupt were the BigHit board of directors. They had already invested a lot of money into Be:lift by funding I-Land, the survival show that created Enhypen, so not only would Enhypen's failure hurt their finances, but also their reputation in the K-pop industry. They lent TXT to us as a method to increase the popularity of Enhypen so we could make back our lost profits while also increasing the marketability of TXT. They told me to ensure your success by any means necessary."
The CEO slowly exhaled.
"From there, it was decided that on the first of June, exactly one week after Belift's debut, the board of directors would reconvene to make a decision based on the success of your group. There were two possible outcomes. If you were successful—which you were, massively, thanks to the publicity the sasaeng brought—our two companies would take back our respective groups and go our separate ways. If you didn't meet expectations, Be:Lift would cease all operations, BigHit would take back TXT, and Enhypen would officially disband."
"But the contract between BigHit and Be:Lift-" Jungwon started.
"-was an improvised solution to help the company get back on its feet. There was never any intention to keep the two groups together." The CEO sat up, uncrossing his legs. He rested his clasped hands in front of him as he stared at the thirteen boys. "I've said it from the start, from that very first meeting. This was a temporary merger."
"But what about Daniel?" Ni-ki asked, upset. "Where will he go?"
"Home. Daniel was never a part of the plan." The CEO found Heeseung's eyes. "Don't forget, Heeseung. You were the one who brought him into this mess. Now you deal with the guilt of kicking him out of it."
"Don't listen to him, hyung." Daniel's hands trembled but his voice was unwavering. He stared at the CEO despite his words being aimed at Heeseung. "I loved being here. I'm grateful for every second of it. Thank you."
Soobin suddenly stood up. "This is such bullshit."
"Call it what you want," the CEO snapped. "But as long as I own this company, I call the shots. Enhypen doesn't need TXT anymore. I'm not paying the bills of a useless K-pop group."
"Useless?" Soobin stepped up to the CEO, meeting his eyes with a calm gaze. "We gave you everything."
"And it wasn't enough," the CEO said coolly, standing up to match Soobin's height.
Soobin let out a quiet laugh. "You took us from BigHit. Fine. You took our dorm. Fine. You beat us, spit on us, screamed at us. Fine."
His face turned stony. "But you don't get to call us useless. You don't get to call us anything at all. You coward."
"Enough, Soobin." The CEO's voice dropped dangerously low. "How many times do we need to have this talk? I did what needed to be done for this company to survive. I told you once and I'll tell you again: I am not the enemy. Everything I've done was for your success. For your popularity as a group. If that means protecting hundreds of sasaengs, then so be it."
Soobin scoffed, turning away. "Unbelievable."
"You ungrateful brat," the CEO snarled. "Do you have any idea how much I've-"
Soobin punched him in the face.
Heeseung let out a yelp of shock, grabbing Sunghoon's wrist. For a moment, time stood perfectly still. Soobin, with his arm in the air. The CEO, head twisted and halfway to the ground. The twelve faces watching them, frozen in various degrees of alarm and confusion. In that one split second that seemed to last an eternity, Heeseung's perspective changed forever. All rules were out the window now.
By the time the CEO hit the floor, Soobin's arm had returned to his side, and the dozen faces spectating all morphed into one, unified expression: horror. They stared in complete disbelief.
Soobin broke the heavy silence with a loud whoop. He pumped his fist in the air and immediately yelped, retracting his arm. "Ow! Crap."
He massaged his bruised knuckles with a wide grin on his face. "See you in court, boss."
Heeseung watched the boy sprint out the door, his laughter echoing all the way down the hallway. The meeting room was quiet as the CEO used the edge of the table to slowly pull himself to his feet. One palm resting on his injured jaw, the CEO stared at the doorway with murderous eyes. His other hand was curled into a tight fist, resting on the tabletop like a bomb set to detonate.
Heeseung sprang out of his seat. "Best to follow."
Eleven chairs rolled backward as the boys scrambled out of the room.
***
Heeseung leaned over, setting his newly-emptied ramen bowl on the floor beside the living room couch. He winced at the loud clunk of glass on wood, glancing at the hallway to check if he'd woken any of his members. No one appeared from the bedroom doorways.
Heeseung relaxed, leaning back against the cushions. He watched Jake, sitting on the other end of the couch, nibble at a noodle. "Not hungry?" He asked.
Jake shook his head, setting his full bowl down beside Heeseung's. "Can't stop thinking about the meeting."
Heeseung let out a long sigh, folding his legs as he hugged a pillow to his chest. "It's going to be okay. We'll figure this out."
"Will we?" Jake mumbled. His head drooped dejectedly. "What am I going to do? Kai and I might as well be a long distance if TXT and Enhypen go their separate ways. We'll hardly ever have time to see each other."
"Plenty of idols are dating outside of their groups. It can be done, as long as you guys have a strong foundation."
"Do we have a strong foundation?" Jake worried.
"I mean, yeah. You trust him, right?"
"I... Of course."
"It doesn't sound like it."
Jake's lip quivered as he glanced up. "What if Kai gets bored of me? He's so... He has so many friends. He knows so many people, people who like to have fun. If I'm not always there if I'm an inconvenience to get to, who's to say he won't drop me?"
"I know how it can feel like that. But I promise you, Jakey." Heeseung touched the younger boy's shoulder. "You're priceless."
Jake smiled with watery eyes. "Really?"
Heeseung nodded.
"But even then," Jake said quietly. "I like him. I just want to be near him. And I don't see how we can weasel our way out of this one. Like the CEO said, he's the boss. He controls everything. He always has."
"That doesn't mean he always will. He won't be the CEO for long. Not if I can help it."
Jake looked up, his face still puffy from tears. "Hyung, you can't just take over a company."
Heeseung's face hardened with resolve. "Watch me."