Seventeen

"Why is Kai like that?"

Kai has been wandering around the hotel room for the last thirty minutes. When Baekhyun showed him the news that he read over the internet, he had try to call Junniel over and over again, but to no avail. Her phone has been off and since then only the voicemail answered his call.

Chen nudged Baekhyun, asking him again why Kai looked tense. He also never leave his phone from his sight. His expression also gradually turned darker.

"Dispatch spreads Junniel noona's picture with Kai besides her at Han River. The unfortunate thing is noona looked so clear in the picture. Noona didn't cover herself at that time.  The only fortunate thing is they didn't manage to get Kai's picture clearly in it since he covered his face with mask and cap."

Baekhyun showed Chen the article. In the picture, Kai was gently run his finger through her hair. Their company website has been flooding with a lot of comments and questions after Dispatch released the article - Nation's Little Sweetheart and Her New Sweetheart.

The two have been dating in the utmost secret for three months now. The media has been released a few pictures where they spotted them enjoying their date at different places. Most of pictures captured were both of them covering their faces up. But the one released by Dispatch is the one that makes them nervous the most. There's no way for Junniel to deny it since her picture really came out too well.

"Kai-yah." Sehun ran to Kai. He must have read the article too that he urgently looking for Kai. Chen quickly pulled Sehun to his side before he gets to Kai.

"Chen hyung, noona.."

"We know, Sehun. We saw the article." Chen quickly cut him before Kai could hear him. They were worried, but Kai must be more worried especially when Junniel can't be reached.

After that, one by one came and gather into one room. Since their manager haven't contact any of them yet, there might be a possibility that no one in the management could have guess that Kai was the guy in the picture.

"What are we going to do?" Lay asked when every one of them kept quiet. He really doesn't like it when they are all helpless like this.

"Suho hyung?" Sehun innocently looked at Suho.

"I really have no idea, Sehun. But first, we need to get in touch with Junniel noona." Suho answered him calmly. He needs to stay calm. Tension won't bring them any solution.

Junniel was not in Seoul when the news broke. She was having a recording at Japan for the whole week and they heard from Kai that Junniel will only be back to Seoul the day after tomorrow.

Kai took his seat in between Luhan and Kyungsoo. "Noona didn't pick up my call." He sighed. "I should have been more careful when meeting her."

Kyungsoo patted his back. "It's not your fault, Kai."

"Don't worry too much for uncertainty, Kai. I'm sure noona will be sad if she see you like this." Luhan tried to comfort him up. He still remembered one of Junniel's advices; don't get too upset when the media wrote anything about you. Junniel has been in the industry for quite some times and she said the only way to survive is to be true to your own self. It's up to them whether to love you or to hate you as long as you love your own self, everything shall turn up fine.

"I'm worried about noona. I think this is her first time people caught her in pictures with a guy. Though she always gets entangled with this kind of rumors in the past, but they never have any proof to back up their rumors." Sehun voiced out his concern.

"Have you tried to call her again, Kai?" Baekhyun asked again, just in case she picks it up this time.

He tried to call her one more time, but he still had to listen to her voice mail. "Voicemail."

"Maybe noona is in the middle of shooting." Xiumin tried to soothe his dongsaeng's worries.

"But what you want to do, Kai? Did you discuss with noona before this if things like this happened? What are you guys going to do if the agency found out about this?" Kris asked him calmly. His intention was not to add fuel or something, but he just wanted to know if they have come out with plan or something.

"I did. I told noona that if anything like this happened I will take the responsibility. But noona didn't allow me to do so. She said my career has just started. She cannot let me simply take the burden." He was so sad at that time when Junniel said that. Though he understands her intention, but he's still sad.

"But you cannot let noona face this alone." Tao blurted out of sudden.

"Kai knows about that too, Tao." Chanyeol quickly in and calm him down.

Kai looked at each and every one of them, asking for their understanding. "I cannot let noona face this alone. If later things get out of hand, I need to protect noona." But to protect her, he might need to bring his group name together with him.

"Do whatever you need to do to protect Junniel noona, Kai. We will always support you." Suho who completely understands what his worries supported and encouraged him.

All of them nodded together at once. They are all together in this since the first time Kai made known of his relationship with Junniel and they will always support both of them until the end. After all, Kai is their family and Junniel is also like their own noona.

~~~

It was quite a havoc homecoming as fans and reporters have been crowding the airport exit, waiting for Junniel's flight arrival since early morning. No statement has been made regarding her dating news and people have been waiting for Junniel and her agency to make the media statement.

When Junniel came out from the exit door, fans cheered for him while the reporters kept on asking her about the pictures. Junniel walked calmly and she smiled to her fans as usual. Her face expression didn't show even an inch of discomfort. She already expected this and by now, she already gets used to situation like this.

Junniel gets into her ride and she immediately looked for her phone. Then she looked at her manager. "Doo Hyun oppa how's the situation at the agency now?" She has been avoiding from asking this question, but now she's here, sooner or later she still need to face this.

Not only her manager, she even ignored the call and text message received from Junsu, her DBSK oppas, Changmin, Sehun, EXO and even Kai. She didn't ignore them purposely. She only needs time alone to think of what's her next action.

She couldn't tell who she's dating. To think again, the boy that she dated is only 19 this year. His career is only at the beginning. Their group has just started their activity for a year plus and currently they are rose to fame. No matter what, her conscience wouldn't allow him to get involved in this with her.

"They have been asking about the boy, Junniel. How long are you going to hide it? The most important thing is how do you plan to hide his identity now?" Doo Hyun asked her with his face showed traces of sympathy. He knows her dilemma, but now only Junniel can make her own decision.

"I've been thinking and I think this will be the best for everyone." Junniel looked serious.

"What are you going to do, Junniel? Are you going to keep quiet like last time? But you know the consequence, Junniel."

When the rumors about her spread around, Junniel never give a damn about it. Most of the time, the rumors were baseless. But when the rumors about her and Changmin spread, Junniel stubbornly kept her silence to the end. At the end, she left her agency with no other choice other than resting her with no activity. In such way, people started to forget about her and the rumors for a while.

"I need to protect him, oppa." Kai saved her soul before. So, now is her turn to save him. She will hide him for as long as she can. If she keeps her silence, after a while people will forget about the news. She did that before, so why now must be different?

"This album is your dream, Junniel." Doo Hyun asked her to think carefully again.

"To be able to sing and dance on stage is his dream, oppa." She's going to celebrate her eighth anniversary as gasoo this year. She can still stand up no matter what happen, but Kai is still considered as newbie and at the moment, EXO is preparing to launch their full album. She cannot jeopardize their group efforts just because of her personal matter. It's not fair for her dongsaengs.

"Are you sure about this?"

Junniel nodded. "It's okay, oppa. I've prepared myself for this when I decided to date him." After all, you cannot win against someone who stays quiet.

~~~

"Junniel To Take A Temporary Hiatus From Her Activities." Chen read out loud the headline. His head dropped and his face expression turned gloomy.

The whole week has been very chaotic and messy for all of them. Though the whole scandal is involving one of their group members, but they are all helpless. Every day the reporters are crowding their agency, looking for Junniel. Fans have been guessing wildly who the guy in the picture is.

Junniel has decided to halt all her activities after she has been giving the options; either tells the truth to the agency who is the guy she's dating or she needs to go on hiatus until this matter is taken care off. Of course, Junniel chose the latter.

Now, Junniel has been missing for almost a week. She cut all the communication with everyone, including Kai. The last message she sent to him is not to worry about her. If he really loves her, don't jump the gun and never reveal his identity as she's already taken care of the matter, in her own way.

Of course, Kai was very frustrated when Junniel decides everything by herself. He felt worthless as her boyfriend. He should be the one taking care of this matter, but from the beginning Junniel has firmed up her decision. Ever since that, Kai has been throwing his tantrum by locking himself inside the practice room by himself. No one dares to say anything at the moment.

"Did Junniel noona contact Kai?" Chanyeol asked out of curiosity, the same question that he has been asking almost every single day.

Chen shook his head. Kai did mention that he went to her house before, but she's not around. When he asked Junsu about Junniel, Junsu said Junniel left the house when he is not around. She left a note saying that she's fine and she needs some time alone. Junsu did check with their parents if she's there, but their parents also don't know her whereabouts. But, Junniel did contact them every day just to make sure they didn't worry about her.

"Are we going to watch without doing anything?" Tao asked his hyungs. He has been following the news since the beginning and the more he reads, the more he feels useless. Sometimes, he did try to contact Junniel, in case he gets lucky and she picks up the call. But her phone is like constantly on off mode. Now, he really missed his noona.

Baekhyun shrugged. "Junniel noona asked Kai to stay low profile. If Kai reveal himself now, wouldn't that make her sacrifice has no meaning?"

"But it's not fair for Junniel noona, hyung." Sehun disagreed with that kind of thinking. He almost lost his mind when he couldn't get in contact with her. Junniel promised him that she will never ignore him no matter what happen, but now she's gone just like that. He knows that Junniel did all this for Kai, for him, for EXO. But at least, talk to them.

"I didn't mean it that way, Sehun." Baekhyun tensed up. Junniel is his favorite noona. He also didn't feel alright with their current situation.

"Get busy, boys. We need to work harder. We have to match up to her. Only this way we can show to noona that we are worth her sacrifice." Suho appeared out of nowhere, encouraged his group members to not feel so down. Junniel will be back sooner or later.

Her life, her dream, her family, her fans and even her boy is here.