Here I go again, this chapter was supposed to be Thursday's update but the story is getting such a good response, especially in Ao3, so I just had to give you guys something before Thursday, I really enjoy writing this fic and I love your comments.
Also, if you love Angst, and like Exo.. tomorrow (Monday 8) I'll be updating my other story, so, feel free to read that one as well ♥
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"What are we going to do, hyung? I shouldn't have keep it a secret, even when he asked me to."
Wonho hushed Hyungwon and held him tighter. "I'll go find him, we can talk once I'm back."
"Don't. He needs to be alone-"
"No, he doesn't, Kihyun-ah. What if something happens to him? He doesn't have a phone on him, I should've let him call his hyung first," Hyunwoo was pacing around the room while the rest sat on the couches.
"There's a lot of things we should have done, and more we shouldn't have. But he's right, hyung. We better wait for him to calm down and come back, and then we can talk with him."
Everyone agreed with Minhyuk and decided to give Changkyun some time and space, no one felt like sleeping so Kihyun prepared some ramyeon and they ate while waiting.
About an hour later Hyunwoo received a call from an unknown number, the guy, whom introduced himself as Byunghwa, informed the Changkyun was safe and sound at his house, and not to worry about him. Hyunwoo was a bit hesitant but allowed the maknae to stay with his friend as long as he was on time at the company the next morning, since both Changkyun and Jooheon had a rap class scheduled.
After the call the eldest sent everyone to bed, only Kihyun stayed back. "What is it, Kihyun-ah?"
"I just- I can't believe I allowed this to happen."
"I'm the one who should've done something about it, I'm the leader."
"Yes, but I was getting close to him, and I can't help but feeling responsible for it as well. I-"
"Come here," he held the smallest in a hug. "Let's not worry about that, we have to talk to him, and gain his trust. And then help him, and also change the way things work around here. There's no good in blaming anyone, okay?"
"You're not a bad leader.."
"And you're not a bad mom either."
Kihyun laughed and hugged Hyunwoo back.
"Are you-are you going back today?" Jooheon asked carefully once their coach left the room.
"I'll stay back and work a bit on this part, but yeah, I guess I'll be there for dinner." Jooheon seemed so relieved, Changkyun winced. "Byunghwa threatened to go with me if I didn't do it myself, and I know he would only cause problems."
"Do you think we'd meet them one day?"
Changkyun was confused.
"I mean.. Your, your friends.. If you still spend time with them maybe we could meet them?"
"I don't know, hyung."
It was impossible to stay mad at Jooheon. His face and voice made him look so vulnerable, Changkyun sighed and gave him a little smile.
"I'll see you at home?"
The older nodded and got out of the room as if to give Changkyun space or to not be too obvious on his intentions to apologize.
Changkyun did as he told Jooheon. Without a phone, he lost sense of time and worked on the rap he was finishing and other lyrics too for several hours. By the time he got out of the studio certain trainees were leaving the dance room ready to go to their own dorms.
"Oh, look who's still here! K.Will-nim's whore."
"Let's not do this today guys, I really should get going."
They laughed at his statement. Changkyun knew it was a stupid request, but he was really tired from not sleeping for over 3 days, and wanted to get home early to face the other guys as soon as possible. Because there was no way he would avoid the talk for another day.
"Common, Kyunnie.. K.Will's in China for this week, you must miss him so much," the eldest of the trainees approached him with a nasty look in his eyes.
"Stay back," Changkyun really wasn't in the mood to stand their jokes and teasing.
"You're useless, aren't you? That's why your members stay away from you at all times, and now even your 'hyung' left because you're an annoyin-"
Changkyun gasped as the trainee fell on his back with his hands covering his mouth and nose. The other guys also looked in disbelief.
"What the- You- Get him!"
Time to run.
Did he really just hit a guy with twice his weight? It was very satisfying and it gave him a rush of adrenaline, enough to get to the lower floor of the building without anyone catching him. Until someone did.
He almost fell on his ass after bumping into something hard, but a pair of arms avoided it, holding him from his waist. "Changkyun?"
Oh no.
"Where is he?!"
Changkyun turned and stepped back getting closer to Wonho, who still had a grip on him. The group of trainees stopped a few meters from them when they noticed the vocalist in the hall.
"What is this?" Wonho inquired.
The trainee Changkyun had punched in the face came with an angry look and pointed at him. "This little bitch hit me! He should get kicked out of the company!"
"Changkyun?"
"Hyung, I can explain."
"He'll lie. Let's end this here and now. This guy has only caused trouble since he arrived," some of the trainees seemed nervous, the rest was rather happy of Changkyun 'getting in trouble'.
"Why did you hit him?"
"Hyung, no.. Please, just, believe me, he deserved it."
"We don't hit people only because they deserve it, Kyun-ah." The trainee was pleased with Wonho's response. "We make sure they regret what they did, and pay for it. We could get them kicked out of the company too, if you want."
There was no doubt the marks on the maknae's legs Hyungwon told him about were bruises made by these bullies. Wonho had seen them bothering other trainees before, if they were all after Changkyun and the younger had recurred to hitting one of them, then they were guilty.
"What? Hoseok hyung-"
"I'm not your hyung, watch your manners. If I know you're pestering anyone, especially one of my members, then that nose won't only be bruised but broken."
"I-"
"We are sorry, sunbaenim, we'll get going now," another trainee stopped their 'leader'.
As soon as they left Changkyun pushed himself away from Wonho.
"You didn't have to say that, nor intervene at all, that will only bring trouble to Monsta X."
"We'll talk about this at home. Let's go."
"We're here."
They came into the kitchen and sat down so Kihyun could serve them dinner.
"What's with that face?" Hyungwon questioned Wonho. "You look upset."
"Well, I am, but leave it, I don't want to ruin dinner."
"Okay..."
Kihyun sat next to Changkyun and gave him an apologetic look. The younger knew his hyung must feel guilty, after all he was the one Changkyun could've trust everything on, but had decided not to. They all helped cleaning up and moved up to the living room. Jooheon turned the TV on only to have a bit of noise on the background and make the situation a little less awkward and tense.
Wonho sat next to Changkyun, in front of the everyone else, "do you want me to tell them or..?"
"I've been having some, differences, with some trainees, and today I did something I shouldn't have and that it may get you guys in trouble as well, I'm sorry."
Wonho huffed, "No. I believe a group of trainees who are not happy with Kyun-ah's arrival had been, teasing him? But he defended himself pretty well I must say, maybe not the most clever plan because they were six but-"
"How long has this been going?" interrupted Hyunwoo with a frown.
They younger didn't answer, so Hyungwon decided to tell everyone what he had seen. "The night of the incident with the hot water, he burned himself as well, but didn't tell anyone," at that Minhyuk wheezed and turned to Hyunwoo. "The next day I saw the blisters in his legs, but I'm positive there were also bruises.. I'm sorry I didn't tell you guys before, I felt uncomfortable back then, and it's stupid that I didn't do something about it, I wasn't sure what could have cause them.."
"Since the begging," Changkyun spoke so quietly they almost didn't get what he had said. "They think is unfair that I came directly to debut in Starship. They don't care how, and won't listen if I told them anyways. They wanted me to give up before debut, since I didn't, mow they want me to mess up. They are aware of the distance between us, and they know I wouldn't tell K.Will hyung. I'm sorry."