“What?!” Donghun blurted as he looked at their instructor with a confused expression.
“Wait, are you serious?” Seyong asked as his eyes widened.
The instructor showed them the paper he was holding, all of them were surprised because of the sudden announcement. Donghun looked at the younger members and saw their surprised yet hurt expression.
“But why?” Yuchan murmured as he looked around, “W-We won’t disband.. no way.”
“This doesn’t make sense at all.” Sehyoon said as he looked at Donghun, “Hyung, what are we going to do?”
“No..” Byeongkwan shook his head as he held on Sehyoon tight, “This can’t be happening!”
“I'm so sorry but your leader had decided this so whether you like it or not, the dance unit that you’re in will be disbanded.” Mr. Kim said as he gave them a sidelong glance, “Even I can't accept this paper but I respect Junhee’s decision.”
“Wait, where’s the punk? He haven’t even explained why he did this! We need to talk to that guy now and fix this! He had been gone for weeks and this is what he’s gonna do?” Seyong was mad. He can't help but feel bad on Junhee's groupmates and also anger on Junhee's sudden decision.
“He’s outside the ro—” Mr. Kim haven't even finished his sentence when Donghun stomped his way out of the studio.
Junhee was prepared on what might happen, he had been listening from the outside. He reminded himself to stay strong and act natural as the storm comes. A storm that would probably ruin all of the courage and facade that he prepared just now, a storm with a name of Kim Sehyoon.
“Yah, Park Junhee!” Donghun shouted as he opened the studio’s door and glared at the younger, “What is the meaning of this?”
“I did this for the club.” Junhee responded in a confident way and smiled as if he’s proud of what he did.
“Did this for the club?! Now, you’re lying. You wouldn't even do this for that, stop lying and tell me the truth. Don't just decide things because you can, think about it a lot. Think about the promises we had, about the memories we shared on this dance unit and the hardships we’ve been through!” Donghun clenched his fists as he looked at the younger, it irritates him to see that fake smile plastered on the younger with that proud yet smug expression of his “Are you going to forget it all and just disband it.. without even consulting on the others? Without even regretting it?!”
“I'm sorry, Donghun hyung. But I've already made up my mind, rebuild it yourself if you want. But I just want you to know one thing that is certain..” Junhee walked closer and his smile faded yet he kept his smug expression “I am not going to join it. No. Never in a million years.”
“What's with this,huh? Why are you acting like that? Junhee, stop saying things like that..” Donghun can’t help but soften his voice, he’s mad but as Junhee said those words.. sadness had overcome the eldest’s feeling.
“Nothing at all.”
“Hyung!” Junhee sighed as his jaw clenched when Yuchan went outside the studio and held his hand as if his life depended on it “What’s happening? Is this a prank? This isn’t really funny, Jun hyung!”
“Who said that this is a prank at all?” Junhee stated in a cold tone.
Yuchan froze but suddenly held Junhee’s hand tighter as he shook his head furiously, “No, hyung! Please say that you’re lying, I won’t be mad at all. You’re not going to disband us, right? You won’t do that, right? Y-You promised us.. that we’ll stay forever as a group. But... why?”
“Well, promises like that are impossible. Stop clinging on lies like that, Yuchan.” Junhee kept his stern voice but he almost want to hug the younger as he saw tears escaping his eyes. He almost apologized a lot of times in his mind as he slapped Yuchan’s hand away from his.
“Hyung, please.” Now it was Byeongkwan who went out, the younger kept his serious face and it’s one of the rare moments where Byeongkwan is not on his cheerful state “I don’t know what’s happening, Junhee hyung. But let’s talk about this.. don’t do this. If something’s bothering you, then talk to us. We weren’t just your groupmates, we’re your friends.”
Junhee saw Sehyoon looking at him beside the door and he can’t help but feel a pang on his chest, seeing his melancholic expression made it more harder for Junhee to breathe properly. He hadn't met Sehyoon for weeks and he missed the lad so bad that it feels like his heart is about to burst by just seeing him. But not like this, not with Sehyoon looking at him as if he’s in despair.
“No. It’s over. Just get over it.” Junhee said and turned his back on the three boys in front of him. He was about to start walking away from them when Byeongkwan dashed to his side and gripped his shoulder and his expression had shocked Junhee.
“Hyung, I'm begging you. Please don’t do this..” Byeongkwan is begging. The person that Sehyoon loves is begging him, Junhee can’t hide his emotions any longer.
So he ran. He ran away from them, he ran until he felt like his legs had been numb and his lungs were burnt. He ran until his body failed him and fell to the ground, unable to breathe properly and his chest being painful. Everything seems to be blurry as he try to breathe but everything seems to be difficult for Junhee.
“Hold it right there.” He felt someone held him as that person put something on his mouth, “Swallow it, princess.”
He recognized the voice and did what is said and afterwards, that person helped him to drink water in order for the pill to be swallowed.
“Yosh, there's you go.” Rayoon said as he sat beside Junhee, “I'll wait for you to recover, princess.”
Junhee wanted to retort back at the younger for calling him names but he felt so weak that he just clenched his chest as he was regaining his strength and after a few minutes, he felt okay once again. He looked at the younger that was staring at him for a while while muttering “T-Thanks.”
“Well, I’m responsible for you feeling that. That was too much, I’m sorry.” Rayoon smiled as he took a handkerchief and started to wipe Junhee's sweat and tears “It hurts a lot, right? You wanted to apologize to them for doing that but you’re unable to? Sorry for that, Junhee hyung. I really just want you to get out of that unit as soon as possible, seeing you with a desperate expression pains me. Not just me but also some of the people that notices your feeling towards Sehyoon sunbae-nim.”
Junhee widened his eyes “Y-You knew?”
“Indeed.” Rayoon stated as he stood and helped Junhee to do the same, “But hey, hyung. What are you going to do now? You can’t just leave the Dance Club, Mr. Kim really wants you there with us.”
“I don't know. I actually planned to join the Theatre Club after this but I'm sure that he won’t even let me so.. I guess that I have to join an another dance unit.” Junhee said as he chuckled and gripped on Rayoon’s shoulders when his legs went wobbly.
“How about our dance unit?” Rayoon suggested, “Seyong hyung really wants you to be in our unit? I bet Sungjun hyung and him will shower you with affection.”
“But he’ll be suspicious, Seyong is wise.” he said as he remembered how the guy shouted at him a while ago.
Rayoon chuckled as he ruffled his hair, “Don’t worry, I got this. I’ll help you.”
“Are you sure?” he asked as he looked at the younger which just grinned and nodded, “Thank you, Rayoon.”
“Just like what I’ve said, I’m responsible for you in this situation. I want you out of that group and probably.. lowkey wants you to be in our unit,” Rayoon said as he averted his eyes from the older “And when I’ve got the chance, I took it as soon as possible. Maybe I'm desperate, and it might be my last chance to steal you.”
“W-What?”
“Nothing, princess. Don't mind it at all.” Rayoon said as he winked which made him chinge for what the younger did.
“For the nth time, I am not a princess. I have a name and it’s Junhee.” he stated as he tried to walk but as he took his first step, he felt like he was about to fall.
“Don’t force yourself,” Rayoon said as he wrapped his arm on Junhee’s waist and put the older’s shoulder over his shoulder,“Should I take you home, my princess?”
Junhee rolled his eyes and mumbled, “I hate you but yes,please.”
Rayoon took him home using a motorcycle and Junhee clung onto him as if his life depended on it. It was his first time to ride on one and Rayoon seems to be amuse on the older that wrapped his arms around his waist tight. When they arrived on Junhee’s house, he helped the older once again as Junhee’s parents went outside to help their son.
“Junhee, I told you not to attend school yet!” His dad scolded him and Junhee just gave them a sheepish grin which made them sigh in defeat.
“Such a stubborn kid.” His mom scoffed then looked at Rayoon in a lovingly way, “Yoon, do you want to join us on dinner?”
“Eomma! Why are you like that to him!?” Junhee complained as he pointed at the younger.
“Because Yoon is such a good kid unlike you, who kept on being stubborn.” His mom said as he hit his shoulder lightly.
“Besides, he volunteered to keep an eye at you.” His dad stated which made Junhee looked at Rayoon in disbelief.
“Why?!”
“In case you’ll get near your group of friends, Junhee. You know what we mean, right?” It seems like everyone froze with what his dad just said to him “I respect you and your sexuality but please, don’t kill yourself for love. We don’t want you to be gone sooner or later just because of a disease that is caused by unrequited love. We want you to graduate on high school them college, get a job and enjoy your life to its fullest. Not dying on a young age, because of that.. stupid disease.”
“I..I’m sorry.” Junhee muttered as tears fell from his eyes that startled the three of them.
“Junhee-ya! Why are you crying, dear?!” His mom said and hugged Junhee while patting his back.
“Y-You must’ve had a hard time accepting my disease at all, I feel bad because I just want to be okay again and for him to love me back but it’s so impossible. And this is what I get from loving him, I bet that you’re also disappointed on me too. I’m sorry.. for being a burden at both of you.” Junhee tried to wipe his tears but more kept on falling again and again.
“Junhee, you’re a man. Don’t cry too easily!" His dad stated in a stern voice but sighed before patting his head, “We weren’t even disappointed on you, you’ve tried to handle it but it's too much for you. We know that you tried to supress it from getting worse but we live on a crazy world like this, with sickness involving unrequited love and other bizzare situations. But please don’t think that you’re a burden at all. You’re our son, Junhee and no matter what, we'll be proud of you.”
“Oh my, this is getting a bit emotional. Let’s just eat, okay?” His mom suggested as he looked at Rayoon, “Sorry for that, Yoon. Are you going to join us or not?”
Rayoon just witnessed something that was a rare sight, he witnessed how the unit he silently despise break apart. He saw how the unbreakable Kim Byeongkwan begged to Park Junhee as if his life depended on Junhee’s response. He experienced how Junhee depended on him and now, he witnessed a heartwarming scene of Junhee with his family. In one day, he witnessed a lot and his excitement is too much.
He felt intoxicated with this, Junhee is really an interesting person. He’ll indulge every single moment he have with him and he’ll want more until Junhee will finally realize what is Rayoon’s motive for all of what he did.
“Sure.” Rayoon said with a smile on his lips.