“Calm down please?” Hoya said and patted his cousin back but it wasn't like Sungyeol was ready to do that.

“How can I calm down?” He asked his cousin. “The rules are clear!” He pointed to his laptop in frustration.

“But maybe if you talked to your adviser so she can take him...” Hoya suggested softly but Sungyeol shook his head before running his hands against his face nervously.

“Hyung, you were there, she said she wouldn’t and it was her that suggested that I took over.” Sungyeol said dispiritedly.

“Can't you just hide it?” Hoya tried again and Sungyeol shook his head twice as hard.

“How can I hide this? Chanyeol and Dara noona already know and this semester everyone already thinks I favored Chanyeol because he got two A's in two subjects I taught.” Sungyeol said with exasperation.

“How about you help him in an informal way? Does he need to put your name in the project? Why can't your professor be his adviser only on paper?” Hoya tried again.

“That would not make the problem disappear, it would only mask it.” Sungyeol growled.

“I...” Hoya sighed and just slid beside his cousin to hug him. “ I see that I'm not much of help but, please calm down, I'm sure your genius brain will think of something.” The elder said rubbing one of his hands over Sungyeol arm as he still kept trying to comfort him.

“I don't have many options, Hyung, and I just...” Sungyeol closed his eyes, trying somehow to contain pain from spreading in his chest. “I can't help but feel as if it is my fault too.” Hoya lifted a brow that almost asked what did Sungyeol meant on its own. “He had other project options, but he said he didn't have much time to develop those ideas so I told him to do the most convenient and quicker one and tell his story with Woohyun if he needed...”

“So you knew he was going to develop his project in a way that you could have been involved?” Hoya asked, kind of freezing at that moment, if Sungyeol knew, then the current problems didn't happen as an accident and that would surely complicate stuff even more.

“No, I didn't know.” Hoya sighed in relief with his cousin negative. “As far as I knew, he was going to study something so minor that he would only rely on what he studies over his department, and that's what I could infer from some of Woollim books he asked me to find for him... he paid me back by the way.”

“Then you don't have to feel like it is your fault.” Hoya tried to encourage his cousin.

“It is, it is, of course it is, because we need to...” Sungyeol was about to rant when his door was opened and the two kids entered his apartment running.

“Hyung, you're already home!” Sunggyu said as he dropped his bag beside the door and ran towards his brother. “How did it go with your Ph.D. thingy? ” The young boy asked.

Sungyeol inhaled deeply to calm himself a bit to address the kid's softly. “It went well, I'm sorry I didn't come to pick you guys today.” He said with a sad tone but forcing a smile on his lips.

“It's ok, daddy came to pick us up with uncle Moonsoo and Sungjong hyung.” Woohyun said happily as he arrived beside Sunggyu and in front of Sungyeol a second later. “Hyung, you should have seen Minggyu hyung face when he saw daddy hugging me again.” The boy informed delighted.

“I bet he was jealous his dad is not cool like your father.” Sungyeol said and both boys nodded in agreement, much for Hoya amusement, but Myungsoo only leaned his shoulder in a take door frame to watch things, not caring about the compliment and not daring to properly enter Sungyeol place.

“And then we had dinner together, why didn't you join us in the restaurant? We missed you!” Sunggyu asked right after.” The young boy then lowered his voice to whisper. “I think Myungsoo hyung has problems, he barely ate.” Sungyeol immediately froze when he heard that and with that Sungjong decided to intervene.

“Guys, hyung must be tired after his presentation, let's not give him trouble today. Straight to the bathroom.” Sungjong clapped his hands and said in an authoritative tone that the others weren't used but could only agree that strangely seemed like his older brother.

The boys looked at Sungyeol, still kinda stiff, and didn't move so Moonsoo urged them on what he thought it was a subtle way. “Do you need clothes, Namu?”

As subtle as Moonsoo wanted to be, there was no way the kids didn't understand the adults wanted them gone and after a pleading look at Hoya, that looked kinda helpless, and a pout the two begrudgingly started to move, but not before Woohyun shaking his head to his uncle then whispering very obviously to Sungyeol.

“Hyung, help daddy, please.” After that, the boys walked towards the bathroom and left the adults alone.

“Are you ok, Myungsoo?” Hoya asked turning half of his body to look at Myungsoo that had been leaning his body on the door frame since he arrived with slumped shoulders.

“I don't know.” The young dad said looking intently at Sungyeol back only for his brother to frown.

“How about you hyung? Have you calmed down?” Sungjong asked as he sat on Sungyeol another side on the couch.

Sungyeol sighed tiredly and Hoya took upon himself to answer that question. “He is still freaking out but the shock passed already.” He explained before mumbling to himself. “If we can call that a shock.”

Myungsoo sighed but approached Sungyeol from behind and unceremoniously caressed his hair and was about to kiss his cheeks when Sungyeol got up to avoid him and turned to look at his lover with his eyes mixed with anxiety and guilt, but his avoidance made Myungsoo feel deeply sad.

“I think you two should talk.” Hoya said. “In private.”

“It might take a while.” Sungyeol looked worriedly in the direction of the bathroom and then at Sungjong.

“That's ok.” Sungjong promptly agreed.

“They are already fed, we can keep them company until you guys are done talking, put them into bed if we need to.” Moonsoo added as he Also understood what the Elder meant.

“I'll also wait for you.” Hoya said and Sungyeol looked anxiously to his lover, but there was a lot of fear in it too, the young dad could only guess Sungyeol was dreading the conversation.

“I guess we should talk in my apartment.” Myungsoo said and Sungyeol gulped a lump that formed in his throat then nodded and the younger sighed dejectedly as he turned towards the door, he was expecting something different but he was still hoping he could change the situation.

Sungyeol looked at everyone as if he would gain strength from them and then moved to follow his lover although he slightly shook his head, thinking there was no way he could fix this.

Once both of them crossed doors and were totally alone, Sungyeol thought it would be better if he started the conversation after all he was the one with big and bad reactions.

“Myungsoo, I'm sorry about my behavior earlier, I think I was, actually I'm still am a bit, shocked.”

“It was also surprising for me. Even if I knew about your Ph.D., who knew the situation would turn out like that?” Myungsoo offered a slight stretch of his lips in a smile that didn't reach his eyes.

“Right.” Sungyeol mumbled to himself as Myungsoo approached him but as soon as he noticed that he gave a step back to dodge him and the younger slumped his shoulders hurt.

“Hyung, I guess it was a shock and that’s ok, but why are you reacting like that?” The young dad asked softly. “Not only it seems like you are hating the idea of working with me but it also seemed like you are avoiding me too and, honestly, I don’t understand, we were fine until this morning.”

“I know, I know.” Sungyeol agreed nervously as he passed Myungsoo to walk to the opposite side of the living room. “I… we are not fine Myungsoo, we definitely aren’t.”

“Then can you at least explain everything to me so we can try to solve this and get to work?” Myungsoo pleaded.

“That’s the problem Myungsoo, we can’t ‘get to work’. We definitely can’t work together like this.” Sungyeol said with a distressed tone.

“Why? Why you don’t want to work with me when it can help us both?” Myungsoo asked with a serious but frustrated expression. “Is it because of me? Do you think I’m not smart enough to understand you?”

“What? No!” Sungyeol stopped his lover questions before he interpreted everything wrong, because if Myungsoo was choosing not to see what it was obvious for him then the chances of a misunderstanding were kinda high. “How can you think that? Yes, I’m impatient with stupid people and people that don’t want to learn but this is one thing I can tell you with all the certainty in this world, I never treated you like that, as if you were less than me.” The elder said with a hint of hurt in his tone.

“But I am less than you liking it or not, you have a Ph.D.”

Sungyeol raised a finger and interrupted him. “Technically I will only have a Ph.D. when I receive my diploma or at least a paper saying I’m gonna get it soon.”

“Whatever hyung, it’s not a problem for me if you have or don’t have one, I don’t mind if we are in different moments within the university, what hurts me is that you knew that and you never told me and...” Myungsoo continued his rant only to be interrupted again.

“You never asked me!” The elder pointed. “Since we decided to be together you had problem after problem and I didn’t want to bother you with things that wouldn’t have importance in our relationship, but I didn’t exactly hide it. I told you I was almost done with my thesis, I told you about my extra credits, my aspirations, most of it in a simplified way.”

Myungsoo inhaled and exhaled to calm himself because his lover was right. “OK, that’s my fault and apologize for not asking more about your life, I’ll do better as your boyfriend in the future, but hyung, we are in a position that we can help each other, we already partnered up in everything, what is one more?”

Sungyeol sighed, returning to his sad state. “It is not like I don’t want to help you, because I do, I want to help you because I know how desperate you are.”

“Then?”

“I can’t.” Sungyeol repeated and Myungsoo was about to make a dissatisfied expression at that answer when the elder explained further. “And I do not mean I’m not capable, because I am, but I can’t in the sense that I am prohibited to do it so for ethical reasons.”

“Ethical reasons…” Myungsoo scoffed. “Sungjong told me your reactions might have to do with that but I still fail to understand how. You are not employed in our college, you’re from another department and we shouldn’t have any restrictions if people in our college assigned us together themselves.”

“If they had done that at the beginning of the year when we disliked each other there wouldn’t be any problem but there is now because we are dating and that changes everything. For you but mainly for me.” Sungyeol said frantically.

Myungsoo eyes got big in alarm, if he had heard correctly, that Song Hyekyo said that they could help each other, he didn’t want to harm Sungyeol in any way. “What do you mean?” He asked after a pause and Sungyeol started pacing back and forth as he explained nervously.

“In our current situation if we both accept this and people do not invalidate your project - because people can think you’re ing me to get an A - you’ll probably be done with college and graduate but it can destroy my chances on getting my dream job.” Sungyeol then stopped and looked at his lover with desperate eyes. “You know I want to be a professor, if not on Seoul U in Yonsei or another university, but my CV and my high IQ will mean nothing if people think I have no ethics to keep in my pants or spread around that I am ually harassing you. The selective process to become a professor in my department is about to start and I need to get this job, I need it. Woollim pays and I need quality of life and still have money to raise two kids.”

Myungsoo got pale and sat on his couch, finally connecting some dots in his head while Sungyeol ranted a little more as he walked towards Myungsoo small coffee table and sat on it, in front of his lover. “I mean Sungjong has his college covered with our inheritance money but he depends on me for clothes, books, everything else and Sunggyu needs time and attention too so please, please say no.”

“No, no, this is ridiculous! It has nothing to do with our relationship, you can go hard on me, I’ll do everything that you say and...” Myungsoo entered into denial mode.

“Ridiculous? Have you read the university policy about relationships??” Sungyeol asked looking at Myungsoo with disbelief in the eyes, then picked up his phone and started to tap on it to find the said policy. “Because they have a policy for that.” The elder added and a second later everything was loading. “Read out loud.” He ordered as he pushed his phone into Myungsoo’s hands and the younger reluctantly grabbed the device and started reading.

“The integrity and professionalism of the teacher-student relationship is fundamental to the University’s educational mission. The University recognizes that relationships may develop between individuals teaching or working at the University and students, and this Policy addresses the propriety of those relationships and applies broadly to all “affiliates” who engage in “supervision” over “students” (all as defined below).

Affiliates includes, but is not limited to University faculty, graduate and professional students, postdoctoral fellows and associates, coaches and athletic trainers, resident assistants, residence hall directors, academic advisors, teaching assistants, graders, and University staff and volunteers who supervise students.

Student includes all those enrolled in any and all educational and training programs of the University.

Supervision means a context that involves instruction, evaluation, or supervision, direct or indirect, of a student’s academic work or participation in University programs, housing, activities, or employment.

A consensual romantic or ual relationship between an affiliate and a student over whom the affiliate has supervision may undermine the integrity of the educational process and adversely affect the learning and living environment for the student in the relationship and for other students. The risks associated with relationships between an affiliate and a student include conflicts of interest, perceptions of undue advantage, and the potential for abuse of the inherent power differential. Therefore, Seoul National University’s policy is that no affiliate shall supervise a student with whom the affiliate has a consensual romantic or ual...” Myungsoo gulped hard when he couldn't continue.

“See?” Sungyeol asked then pointed a finger to his phone then took the device from Myungsoo's hands. “I’m listed there, and then it doesn't really matter because they say the list it is not limited so if I, whoever I am, need to supervise you, a student, I'm prohibited to have a relationship with you and...” Sungyeol bowed his head and half of his hands were pressed against his cheeks and temples, he didn't have any more to say, everything was in the open and there is no way Myungsoo wouldn't understand now in what kind of situation they were.

After a few minutes of pause to try to organize his thoughts, Myungsoo finally regained his words. “Is there any way...” Myungsoo mumbled but didn't finish his sentence because he knew what Sungyeol meant and he dreaded that the same way.

Sungyeol raised his head to better look at his lover but this time when he spoke a deep sadness was already present in his undertone. “As far as I can think we can proceed in two ways. Either we both decline, but then you'll surely be doomed because professor Song is indeed overworking and you'll need to find somebody else to advise you, or we agree and face heavy consequences later when people find out, your work will probably be disregarded and my career will be ruined and I will never set foot in a University again.”

“No, it has to have a third option.” Myungsoo said as he ran his fingers in his hair. “I can't screw your career but I need to move to the next chapter of my life, I need my diploma to get a full-time job that pays enough for Woohyun and I to stay in Seoul and-and... no, hyung, think a little more, there has to be another way.” The younger begged.

“There is another way in which we both can try to minimize our losses.” For a moment Myungsoo hopes were brought up but they didn't stay there longer, in fact, his hopes were killed by the elder next words. “But for that, we need to break up and beg people that know about us to keep their mouth shut, it's risky but...”

“What?” Myungsoo gasped then he got up to pace. “No, I don't want to do that.”

Sungyeol stretched his lips to the side a bit but that couldn't even be classified as a forced smile. “Do you understand my shock better now?” He asked despite feeling a tiny bit happy that they were both in on the same page now.

Myungsoo rubbed his temples with some force as he stopped pacing. “Of course but that isn't right.” He then looked at Sungyeol with pleading eyes. “Can't we work hard to have both things this time?”

“You remember my words.” Sungyeol said as he avoided his lover gaze because his eyes fell watery and he didn't want to Myungsoo to see him like that, he was supposed to be the distant, logical, emotional lacking between the two of them. “I don't think we can do that, this is one of those times we need to let go of something to guarantee the other.”

“And our relationship is the sacrificial lamb?” Myungsoo asked in disbelief.

“I thought Woohyun would always be your top priority.” Sungyeol said, trying to keep his tone of voice even and not falter.

Myungsoo seemed little surprised with what Sungyeol said, of course Woohyun would always be his priority, but he felt it was unfair for him, for them, to let go of their relationship and that still be so easy for Sungyeol to do. “He is, but...” The younger was about to explain himself when Sungyeol interrupted him.

“Then you already know what to do and how to do your best for Woohyun, you only need to accept it now.” Sungyeol said with a grave tone that sent shivers down on the younger spine in a very bad way. “ You said over and over that we can help each other and that's right, we can, but not if we have a romantic/ual relationship.”

“Don't do this hyung.” Myungsoo pleaded. “We can hide everything, you just need to talk to your friends to help us too.”

“I can't do this.” Sungyeol shook his head. “If we are still together I won't be able to lie like this.”

“You are not willing to!” Myungsoo complained as he got up to point a finger towards his lover. “You don't want to protect what we have. Weren't you the one that said you wanted everything? What happened to that? Despite every problem that happened till now I thought you liked me and that we were building something, but is our relationship that easy to let go?”

Sungyeol closed his eyes for a few seconds in order to better handle the hurt Myungsoo's words inflicted on him. The younger wasn't exactly wrong, they built something and there are deep feelings of love between them - and for the first time Sungyeol felt that intensity in a mutual way which made him understand better romantic love – but it wasn't easy to let go, it would never be but it had to be done, therefore he couldn't let that hurt take over, he was older, he was the realistic one and he needed Myungsoo to think straight now.

“You're angry with me, I get it.” He concluded once he opened his eyes then looked at his lover again. “And I'm glad you're angry at me because it confirms that you indeed have all the feelings you said you have for me so the small insecure part of me that doubted you can shut up now but...” He looked down because he could see that Myungsoo lips were quivering already. “You're right, I want everything, but it can't happen the way you want. I can't pretend we aren't in a relationship because we are and what I feel for you is in an intensity that nowadays I'm barely able to conceal to Woohyun, it would be even harder for me to be in this situation, hiding from everyone when in reality I long to...”

The younger looked at Sungyeol, daring him to continue it and ease his heart and tell him that he would take back his words and say that he was loved as much and he couldn't live without him anymore but that was not what Myungsoo heard next.

“But ultimately, this not a matter of being easy or hard, it is a necessity and we need to think and act strategically if we need to get through this.”

Myungsoo slumped his shoulders and sat on his couch again only to hide his face on his hands. Sungyeol was right, he needed this, his lover needed a new job too and they had responsibilities over two children and they were their respective priorities, wasn't him that taught Sungyeol that?

“How can I go through everything happening to me right now without you keeping me sane?” Myungsoo asked hopelessly.

“It's not like I will disappear. We have to choose and this way I can advise you and it will be my job to take your graduation out of your way so you can focus on other things.” Sungyeol tried to assure him but he wasn't sure that his tone of voice came out convincing. He wouldn't be convinced if he was another person listening to what he was saying because there was doubt in it, and that happened because there was a small part of him that always doubted if he was worthy of the younger.

Myungsoo looked down his lap and Sungyeol could tell that the younger eyes moved quickly but without focus, as if he was running their conversation over and over in his head but finding no way out of that situation without a big scratch on both of them. Sungyeol knew that because he spent some time like this inside the car until Hoya knocked on his window and suggested they got home and talked everything out, which didn't help much, this was crazy but it was the best outcome, he could only hope for Myungsoo to see that he was also making a sacrifice, one that had put himself in not in the second place of the list of Myungsoo's priorities but the very last place.

Sungyeol was almost going crazy from the anxiety Myungsoo was causing on him but as soon as he wanted to add some more comforting words or anything that could push the younger to make the decision (officially at least), Myungsoo spoke with a hesitant tone.

“I want to think about it.”

“What's there to think about it?” Sungyeol asked surprised but Myungsoo turned to look at him with suspicion in his eyes.

“Per usual what is easy for you is not easy for me and vice versa, there is a lot to think about it.” He said in a definitive tone that came off without any hint of the caring guy Myungsoo was, almost cold.

“But...”

“Please leave hyung, I need to think.”

Sungyeol knew the other wanted space - in the past when somehow Hoya found his real parents he also had asked him that (in a blunter way) – so he reluctantly got up to go.

“Will you be alright?” Sungyeol asked concerned but Myungsoo only moved his gaze away before he answered.

“Maybe you'll discover that on Monday.” He said with mild sarcasm and now Sungyeol was sure that sarcasm was, in fact, Myungsoo being resentful, and maybe that had to do with his previous sentence and certainly because Myungsoo wasn't seeing the situation like he was.

It wasn't easy and he definitely didn't want their status to be 'on hold' but it had to be done, sometimes one person had to take a step back to be able to give two steps ahead and this was one of these situations. He was about to open his mouth to explain that he was still selfish and he would still want to continue their relationship once this was over but the younger seemed done with their conversation.

“Close the door when you go out and send Moonsoo and Woohyun over.” He said in a cold tone that broke Sungyeol heart and the elder slowly dragged his feet towards the door and left quietly with his slumped shoulders.

It was only when he heard the door being closed that Myungsoo allowed his emotions surface, as the urge to cry could no longer be controlled. Tears rapidly made their way down his cheeks as he felt the walls of love and trust Sungyeol built to keep him together crumble all over the floor.

__________________________________________________________________________________

Sungyeol opened his door and he could hear the boys asking what was happening and Sungjong, Moonsoo, and Hoya softly explaining that Myungsoo and Sungyeol just needed to reach an agreement about college stuff. He winced instantly, He and Myungsoo were in a bad place now, because they had to take a path both didn't want and they had different vies on it, but although the kids were considered in some aspects, they totally forgot to settle how they would explain this to the kids.

Sungyeol eyes watered and he stood halfway his front door as he tried to think about how could he explain things to those two little beings. On one hand, Sunggyu would be upset for sure, and the young Kim might start not talking to him again in just retaliation and he feared that without Myungsoo showing the good path for him he would surely move back to square one with Sunggyu, their lives would be hell again.

On the other hand, there was Woohyun, the sweaty and caring boy that grew on him so much. Not only he would be confused by his and Myungsoo's distance, he might think they fought, that he hurt his father and all the progress he made and all the effort he put would be for nothing, he would be seen as a bad and mean person all over again and that doubled the tightness in his heart.

His frustrated and overbearing emotions prevented him from thinking too much, and he could only finally step inside his apartment and close the door. That must have announced his arrival because when he leaned his body on the wall beside the door and slid his body to the ground to sob the two boys and the three adults came to the living room to greet him.

“Hyung!” Sungjong gasped with Sungyeol state, he never in his lifetime saw Sungyeol like this, not when their mother died, and not even when Sungyeol broke up with his past boyfriends (Sungyeol only cried for Sangwoo because he saw the cheating guy in front of him).

While Moonsoo stayed sort of rooted in his place not knowing what to do, Hoya and the kids ran towards Sungyeol to check on him and even though seeing Sungyeol like that scared the out of Hoya, because it made him remember their darkest moments together, the kids tried to, he was ready to investigate things too.

“Are you ok?” Hoya asked and Sungyeol promptly shook his head which made Sunggyu climb into his lap and hug him.

“Everything will be alright hyung, I love you.”

While Sunggyu tried to do the same thing he did when he didn't know Sungyeol had broken up with Sangwoo, Woohyun placed a hand on his hair and patted his head. “Is your professor sick too?' The boy asked innocently.

“I don't think it is that, Namu.” Moonsoo said as he and Sungjong approached them and Sungjong gave his two brothers a hug. “He was talking to your dad, remember?”

Woohyun promptly recoiled his hand which made Sungyeol cry harder. “Oh, right!” Woohyun opened his mouth to voice something else but he remembered that Sungyeol was supposed to help his father and if Sungyeol was crying.... “ Hyung, weren't you supposed to help daddy?” Sungyeol slightly pushed Sunggyu so he could move enough to look at the other kid and he nodded. “Then why are you crying?” The boy scratched his nape in confusion but that question only made Sungyeol cry and sob more.

Hoya promptly held one of his cousins hand and made a grave face while Sungjong gasped in complete shock. “Wait, seriously?”

“What?” Moonsoo asked.

“Just think hyung, just think.” Sungjong turned to his lover while glaring.

“Oh no.” Moonsoo eyes got big as Woohyun looked at him curiously and blinked a bit. “ No, no, no! Namu, come on, hyung needs us.” The young uncle tried to coax his nephew away from Sungyeol but the young boy tried to push him aside.

“No, wait, Sungyeol hyung is crying, let's help him.” The boy pleaded as Sunggyu tried to wipe some tears from Sungyeol face.

“Woohyun your father could be worse.” Moonsoo urged. “I'll go pack your things really quick then we'll go.”

Sungyeol nodded. “Your father needs you and your uncle right now, go stay with him.” Sungyeol ordered with a cracked voice., but the boy still didn't move only nodded in understanding.

“Did you two had a fight?” Sunggyu was the one asking now. “ Can Woohyunnie and I still be friends?”

“Sunggyu this isn't the time to be asking that!” Sungjong scolded.

“Let the boy be.” Hoya defended.

Sungyeol lips trembled a bit and he had to clench his teeth to be able to nod strongly but, before Moonsoo came back, he decided to clear things up a bit and looked from one boy to the other. “I'm sacrificing something that I like to be able to help Myungsoo but... he didn't like it.” Woohyun slapped his uncle hands one more time and made a face, his father wasn't one to be ungrateful. “He'll explain things better to you. “

Woohyun nodded and got up to leave because his uncle was already back with his things messily shoved inside his bag, but before they could open the door Sungyeol grabbed one of his tiny hands to keep him in place and looked from him to Sunggyu multiple times. “Even if Myungsoo get's mad at me, Woohyun will still be able to come here and Sunggyu will still be able to go over there if Myungsoo let's him, ok?” He then focused his eyes only on Woohyun. “This hyung will keep loving you and your daddy for a long time. Tell your daddy, nothing needs to change much, I can still take you to school, feed you and keep you company.”

“O-ok.” The boy hesitantly agreed even though Sunggyu seemed sad, as if things were gonna change a lot from there on.

“Namu!” Moonsoo urged and Woohyun still placed a quick kiss on Sungyeol cheeks before he followed his uncle out of the elder apartment and with the sound of the door closing Sungyeol started sobbing all over again.

“Can you tell us what happened now?” Hoya asked quietly.

“Isn't obvious? They definitely broke up.” Sungjong said sadly as he tried to pat his brother shoulder only for Sunggyu be so shocked that he lost his balance on Sungyeol lap that he slid to the ground beside him.

“Is that true?” Sunggyu asked.

Sungyeol nodded which left the boy mortified, who would take care of his hyung in college for him now? Who would be sure his hyung kept being nice? “I have no heart.” He whimpered.

“Of course you have.” Hoya tried to coax him. “Yours is a bit difficult to enter but that has nothing to do what is happening, you had to tell him that you were forced by the university, am I right?”

Sungyeol nodded his head strongly. “But you didn't see him, he is so hurt. I-I wanted to help him but... I'm sure he hates me now, he hates me.” Sungyeol wailed.

“I'm sure he doesn't, Myungsoo hyung loves you, we can see in his eyes.” Sungjong was the one trying to help him now.

“I love him so bad, I want him so much, but if he wants my help I just can't, we can't ...”He stopped to sniffle a bit and try to wipe some tears but there was no way his face would be dry anytime soon. “He would never take me back and he never... I did this for him and Woohyun.... I want them to stay in Seoul.”

“They are going away?” Sunggyu gasped and his eyes filled with tears, how he could live without his friend now too? “I'm gonna talk to Myungsoo hyung.”

Before they could register Sunggyu announcement, the boy already had left the apartment and was trying to open Myungsoo's door. “Hyung! Hyung!”

“.” Both non- crying Lees hissed before they got up to take Sunggyu back. “Sunggyu, come inside!” Hoya pleaded, trying to get Sunggyu, but the younger pushed his strong arms away.

“Hoya hyung is right, Myungsoo hyung needs some space to think and we need to take care of Sungyeol hyung now.” Sungjong tried to reason too.

“Nooooo! He promised me he would take care of Sungyeol hyung, he promised!” Sunggyu wailed then kept knocking on his neighbor's door. “Hyung, you promised me you'd take care of my brother so I wouldn't go to an orphanage, you promised meeeeeeeeee!” He wailed just as Hoya and Sungjong, in combined efforts dragged him inside again.

“I need to talk to him!” Sunggyu still tried to push past them as soon as they closed door while Sungyeol hid his face on his arms and kept sobbing relentlessly while Hoya just sighed as he guarded the door from Sunggyu.

“You take Sunggyu, I take Sungyeol, this is gonna be a long night.”

“Do you think you can manage?” Sungjong asked both in concern and some tiredness as he tried to grab Sunggyu again that kept pushing him away.

“This looks bad but it is not Sungyeol worse, you know it.” He said as he pulled his phone. “I'm telling Dongwoo hyung to bring me stuff, I won't leave until he doesn't get better.” After he shoved his phone back on his pockets, he approached Sunggyu and managed to get his attention by grabbing one of his arms. “Gyu, behave please, we have to help your brother now, when he calms down I'm sure he can explain everything you want, ok?”

Sunggyu answer for that speech was a deep upset pout but he indeed shut up and got quiet and once Hoya let go, he avoided Sungjong, that had reached a hand for him, and walked away only to curl in a ball in the couch.

“I hope he doesn't start with the silent treatment to Sungyeol or any of us again.” Hoya said making a frown.

“Yeah, I like better when he is talking and hanging out with hyung.” Sungjong said with a tired sigh. “I'll go...” The younger pointed behind him to Sunggyu only for Hoya to nod and turn around to Sungyeol.

“Come on, buddy, you need to take things off your chest, let's talk in your room.” Hoya suggested reaching a hand for his cousin while they heard Sungjong starting coaxing Sunggyu into talking a few words.

Sungyeol sobbed one more time then slowly looked up to Hoya with a face that reflected his mood, a big mess, only to drop his eyes to Hoya' hand and hesitantly grab it. “There is nothing in my chest, hyung, I have no heart.”

“You know this is not true, you're hard to crack but your heart is earnest. Come on.” Hoya tired to comfort as he pulled Sungyeol to his feet but before he could pull the other to Sungyeol room the said man stopped his cousin only to shake his head.

“I didn't mean like that.” He stopped briefly to sniff. “I have no heart hyung, Myungsoo has it.”

Hoya lifted only a brow at the tackiness of Sungyeol speech - yes, that was too tacky to come out of Sungyeol mouth but he guessed that should say something about how much his cousin loved Myungsoo – once he stopped judging and schooled his face he sighed.“Gosh, this will be harder than I thought. Come on.”

The elder pulled Sungyeol by the hand to his room and once they closed the door Sungjong was this close to gave up on communication with his younger brother. It had only been five minutes of silence, pouts, and tears and he could feel on his skin how annoying and unsettling that was for him, he definitely had to give some compliment to Sungyeol to be able to take that for a year.

“Gyu, seriously, talk to me. If you have questions or doubts or want explanations I won't be able to help you with or comfort you if you don't talk to me.” The middle brother decided to try one last time with a pleading tone and he was almost giving up for real when Sunggyu rubbed his nose, looking down at his lap when he decided to talk.

“How?”

Sungjong internally celebrated the only word that came out from the boy before he replied. “How what?”

“They were supposed to start dating.” Sunggyu said wiping a side tear. “ How can they break up if they were only hooking up?” Sungjong immediately froze, Sunggyu didn't know that part? Well maybe after all the problems Myungsoo family was having lately they didn't have time to explain their improved status to Sunggyu, much less be upfront about their relationship to Woohyun, so how should he explain things to Sunggyu? “Tell me hyung.” The boy urged.

“Sunggyu...” Sungjong used a hesitating tone but patted his boyfriend hair gently. “... I don't know what exactly you know about hyung and Myungsoo hyung but, independently of that, you should interpret 'breaking up' as they won't be doing whatever they were doing anymore. There will be no more kisses, no more hugs... these kinds of things that couples enjoy.” He finished with a nervous smile.

“Noooooooo~! I don't want that~!” Sunggyu hid his face in between his small hands and rubbed them over his face.

“Sunggyu, this is not about what you want, it is their lives, they should decide what is the best thing for them and if they don't want to be in a relationship, they should be apart.” Sungjong tried to explain.

“Nooooo!” The boy still disagreed. “Hyung loves Myungsoo hyung, his eyes sparkle.”

Sungjong let out a fond but sad smile as he caressed Sunggyu hair a bit more. “You noticed that? Yes, his eyes sparkle.”

“And he became nice too!”

“He did.” Sungjong agreed.

“What if he becomes mean again?” The boy whined.

“I don't think you and Sungyeol hyung will go back to the way you two were before.” The teenager said seriously.

“But what if?” The boy insisted.

“If so I will come back here and fight for you all over again.” Sunggyu eyed his brother with suspicion so the elder sighed and rubbed the younger knees. “Don't worry, nothing will change between you and hyung because his relationship with Myungsoo hyung is over. Hyung is doing nothing wrong lately so he deserves your trust. Even when your relationship with him was bad, he still took care of you and that was before he and Myungsoo got together... he is putting effort into changing, you'd be unfair with him if you distrusted him now.”

Sunggyu sighed deeply and nodded begrudgingly but when Sungjong thought his younger brother was close to accepting things he couldn't be more wrong.

“What about Myungsoo hyung?”

“What about him?” Sungjong raised a brow.

“He promised me he would take care of Sungyeol hyung.”

“Did he?” The middle brother blinked quickly, he didn't know about that.

“Ye-” Sunggyu was about to confirm when he remembered the conversation he had with Sungyeol and gasped. “Myungsoo hyung doesn't love our hyung? Is that why they broke up?”

“I'm sure that's not it.” Sungjong said cautiously and Sunggyu tilted his head to the side to think.

“Yes, you're right, Myungsoo hyung eyes sparkle too.” Sunggyu blinked a few times more then looked completely scared at his middle brother. “Did Woohyunnie discover? Is this right hyung? Is this the reason why they broke up? Because Woohyunnie discovered and didn't like?”

“I don't think your friend discovered anything, he was worried about hyung too.” Sungjong said and Sunggyu pouted in frustration.

“Then why they broke when they love each other so much? Hum? Hum?” The boy asked impatiently.

“I don't know the details, I think it is because of something that happened in college but I don't really know for sure, maybe we just need to wait till tomorrow and ask Sungyeol hyung about it. It also could be a fight and in no time they'll be back together, I just don't know, we'll have to wait and see.”

Sunggyu leaned his bother to the front, placed his elbows on his knees and rested his chin on his hands before looking at Sungjong with a sad pair of eyes.

“Will I be able to play with Woohyunnie again?”

“Sure, you heard hyung, he said you two can continue playing and he can still take care of Woohyun ...”

“What if is Myungsoo hyung that doesn't want us to play this time?” The boy asked and Sungjong had to hold his breath, he didn't know how to answer that.

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An (edit):  guys..... first I will marry in a week and then I'll travel for honey moon so I'll be briefly on hiatus.

The policy used here was taken from Boston university it is exactly what is written there to better explain things so here it is their due credits.