On that word, Yongguk took his leave and disappeared from the room. He was not one to 'beg', least of all to Daehyun. So after dropping that bomb, he thought it best to remove himself from the situation as soon as possible, before he said anything else embarrassing. 

He considered knocking on the bathroom door where Himchan had holed himself up but decided against it. After all, what could he say? It was shocking news that Daehyun had revealed and right in the middle of B.A.P's reality show shooting. A thought went through his head that maybe this was all part of an elaborate prank but he quickly dismissed the notion. Daehyun would not joke about this. 

Yongguk absentmindedly strolled down the corridor. He didn't even notice the camera that followed him as he left the dorm. 

He found himself at the door of the group's recording studio. Somehow, while thinking about Daehyun, his feet had led him there without him realising. He entered the studio and turned on the lights. He sat down in front of the monitor and stared at the blank screen, feeling calm and restless at the same time. Regardless of the reasons Daehyun had given, Yongguk still felt at fault for his departure. He thought of how many times he had said to Daehyun, "that's not a good idea", or "No, that doesn't sound right, do it again", and cursed himself for not noticing the singer's growing dissatisfaction with his place in the group. 

Yongguk suddenly thought of the fans and how devastated they would be. Jongup and Youngjae could reach Daehyun's vocal range easily but his iconic tone was irreplaceable. Having worked with him for so long, Yongguk could not imagine B.A.P's sound without that voice. There was no way the fans who followed them and who had fallen in love with Daehyun would see the group in the same light. They would be heartbroken.

Yongguk's fingers found the monitor's switch and he began a template for a new composition, not knowing what to call it or what it would even sound like. He lay down a beat and thought of his dongsaeng.

Only Jongup and Zelo remained at the table with Daehyun, an awkward silence hanging in the air. Zelo pushed his chair away with a squeak and trudged over to take the seat beside Daehyun. 

"When are you leaving exactly?" He asked.

Good question, thought Daehyun.

"I will prepare to leave after we finish filming Showtime," he said without missing a beat.

Jongup leaned forward from his chair. "What about your contract? You cannot just cancel that."

Another good question.

"I have already spoken to the CEO," Daehyun lied again. He was getting way too good at this. "I have hired a private attorney to revise the terms of my contract with TS. Manager-hyung is helping me figure it out."

"You hired an attorney? And our manager already knows?"

Jongup was as shocked as Zelo was deeply hurt.

"You did all this and told us nothing until now?" The maknae growled. "If Himchan-hyung hadn't asked you what was wrong, when would you have told us?"

Fresh tears slipped down his tormented bare face. Daehyun could hear Jongup fidgeting in his chair, distressed by the conflict. 

"I would have told you when I was ready," said Daehyun firmly.

But Zelo wasn't finished.

"We are B.A.P forever...!"

He tried to yell, but his voice broke on the last word. Fed up with the situation, he wiped his face and abruptly straightened his legs, slipping away quietly to his room. Jongup looked up at the ceiling, struggling to hold back his own tears. Daehyun kept his eyes downcast, waiting for Jongup to leave as well.

But he didn't. Instead, the dancer pulled his chair closer to Daehyun and carefully reached his arms out to envelope his hyung in a warm awkward hug.

"Ah, come on, Jongup-ah," Daehyun tried to comfort him.

Jongup didn't say anything in return. It was unusual, thought Daehyun. After all, Jongup was one to receive hugs, not give them.

"I'm sorry, Jonguppie," he said, patting his dongsaeng on the back.

Jongup nodded and pulled away, leaving a dark stain on Daehyun's shoulder.

"I'm going to go check on Himchan-hyung," he said.

Daehyun's eyes widened as Jongup headed for the bathroom door. He had completely forgotten about Himchan-hyung, who was clearly dedicated to his craft having locked himself away for so long.

Jongup knocked on the door and called his favourite hyung's name.

The door opened and Himchan emerged looking weary and upset, his eyes red and his skin splotchy with fake tears. Jongup put a hand on his forearm in concern.

"I'm fine, Jongup-ah," he said, sniffling. "Sorry, I'm fine."

Daehyun pursed his lips to prevent himself from laughing at the scene, thankful that Jongup had his back turned and couldn't see him. He glanced at the seemingly dormant cameras on the other side of the room and gave them a surreptitious wink.

Jongup put his arms around Himchan's waist and brought him in for a hug, oblivious to the 'OK' sign that Himchan was making with his fingers at Daehyun behind him. Daehyun gave him two thumbs up in return and silently applauded his partner in crime for his brilliant work.

Himchan quickly put his hand down when Jongup let go.

"Where is everyone else?" He asked.

"Youngjae-hyung and Junhong are in their rooms," Jongup answered. "And I don't know where Yongguk-hyung is."

"He went to the studio," said the female staff member from around the corner, where the other staff were secretly monitoring the security cameras from every room including the studio.

"Really? Did I inspire him to write a new song?" Daehyun began to chuckle to himself but quickly stopped when he saw Jongup's disapproving face.

"I think I had better go check on Youngjae," he said hastily.

Daehyun excused himself and shuffled down the corridor to Youngjae's room, leaving Himchan and Jongup alone in the dining area. He took in a breath, and rapped on the door. 

"Youngjae-ah," he called.

He heard a grunt in reply on the other side so he cautiously opened the door. He found Youngjae sitting on his bed up against the wall, scrolling through his mentions on his phone. He didn't bother acknowledging Daehyun as he entered. Daehyun looked up at the temporary security camera in the corner of the ceiling and he wondered if Youngjae knew he was being watched. He climbed onto the bed and lay down on his stomach next to Youngjae.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

Youngjae nodded, eyes still glued to the screen.

"Are you sure?" Daehyun pressed, not liking the silence.

Youngjae took in a breath and finally looked up.

"Daehyun-ah."

Daehyun immediately sat up, glad that Youngjae had addressed him informally.

"Hmm?"

Youngjae nervously ran his fingers through his hair.

"Is this..." he hesitated, "Is this a joke?"

Daehyun's heart dropped with a thud so loud that he was afraid Youngjae might have heard it. He pretended to be confused, hoping that the guilt didn't show on his face.

"What do you mean? A joke?"

"You know... Is this a hidden camera prank?"

Daehyun let his jaw drop in mock surprise. "Of course not! Why would I-?"

"Because if it is," he cut him off, "I want you to stop it right now. Please stop this, it is too much. It's not funny."

Daehyun stared at Youngjae's pained expression and wondered how to react. Once again, Youngjae was far too sharp for his own good. Daehyun could just imagine the PD staff in the other room, watching the security footage on the monitors and chewing their nails in panic. Whether or not the curtain fell on their little escapade all depended on Daehyun's next words.

In the end, although Youngjae's sad round eyes were compelling him to come clean, the cheeky devil in his heart overpowered all sympathy.

"I'm sorry, Youngjae," said Daehyun, with as much sincerity as he could muster. "But I wouldn't joke about something like this. I wish I hadn't said anything with the crew here. I should have waited until we were all alone."

Youngjae looked away and there was silence again. He seemed to believe him because he took in a deep breath and tossed his phone onto the mattress in defeat.

"Your fans will be upset," he said frankly. "I think all of our fans will. You remember how they reacted when Yongguk-hyung left for only that one comeback."

Daehyun bowed his head. "I know," he whispered. "I will have to break it to them gently."

"They don't like secrets," Youngjae continued. "They don't like being led to believe that everything is fine when it is not."

Daehyun hummed in agreement. He remembered that time two years ago when rumours of B.A.P's disbandment had spread like wildfire and the fans fretted for that whole year until their return. B.A.P had lost many fans as a result. That's why he treasured the ones that remained.

"I know," he repeated, fidgeting with the hem of the sheets. "I will deal with it when I have found the words."

Youngjae just shook his head in disappointment. Although he had referred to the fans, in truth, the hatred of secrecy was his own sentiment. He hated that Daehyun had not consulted him at all. The man could talk for hours and hours about utter crap but failed to mention something as important as leaving the group.

"Daehyun," his tone became soft. "It's not that I don't want you to grow as a singer..."

He rubbed his temple in thought.

"...I just thought we'd all be together forever, you know?"

He was starting to cry again. Daehyun wasn't even sure how to comfort him so he tried instead to lighten the mood.

"Ehh, I'm still your friend, Youngjae-ah."

He sat with his back against the wall beside his bestie and put an arm around his broad shoulders. When Youngjae didn't respond, Daehyun put a hand over his tiny squishy face and squeezed while making fish noises with his lips. Youngjae snorted a laugh into Daehyun's palm and pulled away from his grasp.

"Ah, I forgot how annoying you are," he said with a roll of his eyes.

Daehyun laughed at him, highly amused by his grumpy face.

The two friends were startled out of their serenity by a knock at the door.

"Yes?" Youngjae answered.

The impatient voice on the other side did not belong to any of the B.A.P members.

"Are you two lovebirds ready to continue filming or do you need more time?"

It was the PD manager. He had obviously had enough of watching the security footage. Daehyun withdrew his arm from around Youngjae's neck and dragged himself off the bed. 

"We're coming," answered Youngjae, slowly doing the same.

He opened the door and the two men followed the PD manager down the corridor into the open space of the dining and living room. Jongup was sitting at the table letting the stylists attack him with combs and spray while Himchan was in the kitchen, speaking in hushed tones with B.A.P's manager. 

To Jongup and Youngjae, it looked as though Himchan was being calmed down from his tantrum earlier but Daehyun gathered that he was actually being given further details of the prank. Daehyun watched on as Himchan ended the conversation and walked towards him signalling that he should join manager-hyung in the kitchen.

"Where are you going?" Asked Youngjae, who had already pulled up his seat. Daehyun looked over his shoulder.

"I want to ask manager-hyung if we can wrap up filming early today."

"Oh."

Daehyun continued on to the kitchen, rubbing shoulders with Himchan who whispered a snarky, "Wow, you compulsive liar, you are getting very good at this," in his ear as he passed. 

Daehyun ignored him and moved to stand in front of his manager-hyung, taking care to lower his voice.

"Now what happens?" He whispered.

"The PD staff are going to reveal the hidden camera when they want to, so you don't have to do it. Just follow their cues," the manager-hyung answered.

The PD manager hurriedly came over to join them.

"So you told him about the reveal?"

B.A.P's manager nodded in reply.

"Okay, good." 

The PD manager then briefly checked over his shoulder to ensure that the other members were out of earshot before he continued. "I'm going to pretend I don't know anything about what you said. As far as the other members are concerned, the staff know nothing of you leaving."

"So I act like I'm keeping it a secret? Okay," Daehyun nodded. "So what are Himchan and I doing in the meantime?"

The PD manager took in a breath.

"If you let me finish, I'll tell you. We will continue filming Showtime as normal. For this segment, we will ask B.A.P members to talk about things that are bothering them. Say what you don't like about the other members..."

"-Oh, that's just cruel."

"...AAAAND we want you, Daehyun, to try and antagonise the others with your answer."

Daehyun frowned. "Umm, how antagonistic exactly?"

"Just say you wish to be free as a bird, experienced and independent, not weighed down by those around you, blah, blah, blah. Something like that..."

"Aww, they won't like that," Daehyun chuckled maliciously, enjoying his evil role. This must be how Youngjae and Jongup felt when they played traitors in B.A.P's music videos, he thought. Absolutely exhilarating.

He closed his mouth when he realised the PD manager was waiting for his attention.

When he was sure Daehyun was not going to interrupt him again, the PD manager massaged his temples and continued.

"Then when some time has passed, and when we think the members are going to cry again, we will reveal the hidden camera."

"Oh, finally."

"Yes, finally." The PD manager wiped the sweat from his brow. "Okay, you understand?"

"Yes, sir!"

Having processed and understood the new information, Daehyun was sent away to join the others at the table. He took a seat beside Youngjae, opposite Himchan and Jongup.

"Junhong-ah is still in his room?" Asked Jongup.

Before the others could say anything, the PD manager began anxiously rapping his knuckles on Zelo's door.

"I don't know what's happened with you all but we need to finish filming. Come out now," he commanded.

The door quickly opened and a swollen-faced Zelo slipped out, bowing to the manager in apology.

"Come Junhong-ah," Himchan held out his hand. "Come sit next to hyung."

Zelo dragged the chair at the head of the table to place it beside Himchan. He slumped into his seat and brushed the messy hair out of his eyes while Himchan laid a comforting hand on his shoulder. Jongup let his head rest on the wooden table and innocently observed the crew as they pretended to set up their cameras in the living room to recommence filming.

The PD manager returned to the table with a script in hand, followed by two of his staff and B.A.P's manager. Himchan looked up at the group's manager-hyung standing over Zelo and gave him a sneaky wink which the man returned. 

"B.A.P family," their manager-hyung said warmly, "please listen to PD-nim now."

He held out his hand for the PD manager to speak, who finished skimming over his notes and lifted his gaze to address B.A.P.

"So is everything okay now?" He asked cautiously. "Daehyun, you are okay as long as we finish early tonight, right?"

Daehyun nodded.

"Good," said the PD manager. "I still wish I knew the reason why, but that's okay. As long as everyone is-"

"Wait, what?" Youngjae interjected, glancing at Daehyun. "You mean... you mean you didn't hear anything we said just now? You didn't hear what Daehyun said?"

The PD manager looked to B.A.P's manager and shrugged. "No, I was busy doing actual work in the other room. Why? What happened?"

Youngjae opened his mouth to answer but hesitated.

"Everything is okay," Daehyun said abruptly. "I am just tired, that's all."

"Youngjae," B.A.P's manager intervened. "We can all talk about it tonight after filming. Don't worry about it now."

Youngjae's jaw dropped.

"You knew about it as well?! For how long?"

The manager bowed his head with sorrow.

"I was surprised too," said Zelo under his breath.

The PD manager put up his hands in bewilderment.

"He knew what? What are you surprised by? What is going on?"

Daehyun almost grinned with admiration for the two managers who were possibly even better actors than himself and Himchan. He blinked when he realised the members were all looking at him, silently seeking his permission to answer.

"It's personal," said Daehyun. "Everything is alright now."

He exchanged a knowing glance with the PD manager who turned to B.A.P's manager for approval. "So my staff can film now, then?"

"Yes," their manager answered. "B.A.P members will do their best to show only their charming side on camera. Right?"

He looked around the table at the members who were now visibly exhausted from the emotional beating they had suffered. They knew how to put on a mask and feign happiness for the cameras but the timing in this case was just too brutal and the subject too close to their hearts. Himchan tapped Daehyun's foot under the table with his own and raised an eyebrow at their manager who was now pushing his fingers into the corners of his mouth, telling Zelo to smile. The maknae reluctantly stretched his mouth into an awkward grin but dropped it almost immediately back into a sullen frown. Daehyun's heart warmed. Even in anger, Zelo was so cute.

"Right," said Youngjae. "Charming side only. Got it."

"Wait a minute," exclaimed Himchan. "Where is Yongguk?"

The managers and the members all stared at each other in surprise. During his hiatus, the members couldn't last a minute without thinking of their precious leader. But now they found themselves growing accustomed to his absence.

"I'm here," said a deep voice behind them. "Sorry."

The PD manager wheeled around to see Yongguk strolling into the room like a zombie. Himchan wasn't sure if it was a trick of the light but he could have sworn that the bags under his eyes were shades darker than before. An hour alone had aged the leader tremendously.

"Oh, good," chirped the PD manager. "We are switching the cameras back on, so you all need to put on your happy faces. Everyone please gather in the living room."

Yongguk nodded and dragged his feet to the corner. With laboured steps, the rest of B.A.P made their way to the living room and crumpled to the floor. The PD manager assumed his position behind the camera crew and gave his staff the cue to begin.

"So what are we doing now?" Yongguk whispered to Youngjae.

"I don't know," he answered.

"I feel like a cow being herded," complained Himchan. 

"B.A.P!" Called the female staff member who had directed them before. The members lifted their heads in attention. "Yesterday, you began the segment of B.A.P's Closet where the aim was to spill the deepest darkest secrets of your fellow bandmates."

"Ah, this again," Yongguk groaned.

"I completely forgot about this," said Youngjae. "What did you guys say about us yesterday?"

Daehyun nervously turned to Himchan on the other side of the room who looked up at the ceiling as he spoke.

"Uhh... I don't remember."

Youngjae clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Ugh, whatever. I don't care anymore."

"But today," the staff member continued, "We decided we want B.A.P members to talk face to face and express their negative feelings out in the open."

Himchan heard Youngjae laugh derisively beside him. He obviously had a lot to say.

"And if you are shy, you don't have to say the member's name. Just discuss what upset you and you can talk about it later."

The staff member held the script over to hide the curve of her lips, struggling to hold in laughter at the sight before her. In contrast to her sunny and chirpy tone of voice, the members looked absolutely miserable like they wanted to jump into a hole. Her amusement ceased however when she saw Jongup whose usually twinkling eyes looked so downhearted that it could have made angels weep.

"Ready when you are," the PD manager urged them on.

Jongup blinked and scratched his head uncomfortably while Yongguk played with his nails. Zelo stared at the floor and Youngjae fiddled with the strings of his hoodie. They had often been called "awkward-dols" before but now they had set a new bar for themselves.

Tired of waiting, Daehyun opened his mouth to start the segment but Himchan pinched him before he could say anything. They had to wait for the PD manager's cue.

"Youngjae-shi," the man finally called. "You usually speak well. Why don't you start for us?"

Youngjae threw his head back and sighed.

"Okay..." he shuffled forward so that he sat in front of the others. "I don't like when this particular member keeps secrets."

Himchan nudged Daehyun in the ribs.

"I want to hold hands with our babyz," Youngjae went on, "and promise them that we are a family till the end. But I can't do that if this member keeps making decisions without telling me or anyone else. It makes me really upset."

He stared into space for a moment and then craned his neck to stare directly at Daehyun behind him. He extended his arm to the floor and gestured for him to speak.

"Your turn."

His smile was sweet but his eyes said "Burn, " and it made Daehyun gulp. Himchan felt a laugh escape his throat which he swiftly disguised as a cough. 

"Umm..." Daehyun started, pretending to feel embarrassed. "I don't think I should..."

"Go ahead, Daehyun-shi," said the PD manager. "What is bothering you?"

Acknowledging his cue, Daehyun thought of the most provocative thing he could say.

"I have negative feelings about more than one member."

He paused, sensing the members' eyes shooting lasers at him.

"I hope to have more freedom in the future. I want to become a Daehyun that is musically and emotionally matured and experienced, not bound by what others think I should or shouldn't do. But I feel weighed down..."

Himchan covered his face with his hands and peaked through the gaps of his fingers at Youngjae sitting in front of him. His hunched back had become tense and his head bowed. What a drama he and Daehyun had created!

"...I am always made to do what I am told," Daehyun went on. "And when I decide on something on my own, I am chastised."

Suddenly remembering his role in the facade, Himchan immediately sat up and put on a sulky face.

"Oh, I wonder what Daehyun is talking about?" he snarled sarcastically. "You know what's bothering me? That a certain member can be so selfish that he thinks only of his own well-being and not of the whole group's."

The PD manager wished he could give Himchan an Oscar. The tension he had created was thick enough to slice a knife through.

Jongup's eyebrows disappeared into his hairline with surprise and decided that it was his turn to speak.

"I have something bothering me."

The members turned their heads as if without choice and gave him their full attention. Even the camera crew shushed each other. When Jongup spoke, it was time to listen.

"I... umm..." he hesitated when he realised he didn't know what he wanted to say. He only wanted to stop the conflict.

"I don't like it when the members fight," Jongup eventually said. "It makes me uncomfortable. Whatever problems we have... I think we should just talk about it, not get angry about it."

Zelo, who had been lying on his stomach, pushed himself up to rest on his elbows and looked up at Jongup, thinking about what he had said. He didn't like it when the members fought either.

"I agree," Zelo said softly but firmly.

"What are you talking about?" Asked Himchan. "You two kids get angry all the time!"

Jongup nodded. "Yeah but I say what I'm thinking, I don't just start insulting people on camera."

"What's wrong with you all?" The staff member cut in. Jongup leaned back and apologised.

"Nothing's wrong, please cut that out, PD-nim," said Himchan.

Zelo pondered a moment, then raised his hand and spoke from his heart.

"I agree with all the things that have been said. I don't like when members keep secrets. And I don't like when they think only of themselves, making decisions without telling the rest of us..."

He then lowered his gaze and trailed his fingers along the wooden floor.

"But I also don't like being tied down creatively. I can understand the frustration of wanting to do something individually that just can't be done when in a group."

The members said nothing when he finished, surprised by the diplomacy of his words. The PD manager poked his head out from behind the cameras and waved shyly.

"Uhh, why do I get the feeling that I am missing something here?"

Youngjae shook his head. "Ah no, sir. You're not missing anything."

"If you say so."

He took a step back behind the cameras and looked at his watch.

"Okay, this is good. The fans like to see you all talking intimately like this. But Yongguk-shi, you haven't said anything!"

The members turned to look at Yongguk who had his back to the wall and a hood over his face. He pursed his lips but remained silent.

"Yongguk, is there a member who has upset you lately?" The PD manager tried to get a rise out of him.

Yongguk shook his head. "No. None of the members have upset me."

Daehyun was starting to feel slightly uncomfortable with the atmosphere. He turned to face the front, preferring not to see Yongguk who looked like an image of death.

"Are you sure?" The PD manager encouraged him to spill. "You don't have any negative feelings about another member?"

Yongguk heaved a sigh and gave a small reluctant smile. "The only member I am upset with..."

He looked around at his dongsaengs.

"...is myself."

The members frowned in disbelief.

"What do you mean?" Asked Himchan.

Yongguk rubbed the back of his neck, still smiling nervously though his eyes were dark with the burden of worry. "I wish I were more capable. As a leader, I know I am lacking..."

He was shut down immediately, as he knew he would be. The members called out over the top of each other in disagreement.

"Ehh come on now!"

"Don't say that, hyung."

"We are all lacking..."

Their objections made Yongguk's eyes crinkle with sentiment but it did not soothe his qualms. He began to speak again and the members quietened down immediately.

Where Jongup's voice endeared others to listen, Yongguk's voice commanded it.

"I'm just sorry that..."

He hesitated, searching for the right words. "I'm sorry that I did not give this member... uhh, I mean," he quickly corrected himself before he could accidentally reveal Daehyun's secret. "I'm sorry that I do not give the members enough incentive to stay together. I did not even notice you were unhappy..."

Daehyun bowed his head in self-reproach, still refusing to look at his hyung.

"I mean, all the members work hard," Yongguk continued, his words painfully slow. "If I had worked harder... if I had said the right things... or rather, if I had said truthfully how I feel about all of you, how proud I am of you... how much I love you..."

Daehyun's head snapped up.

"...and if I just listened better... maybe my dongsaengs would all feel happier with how we are as a group. Or, I don't know..."

He trailed off, not knowing where he was going with this. He let his head fall back against the wall and decided to end it there before he said something he'd regret. Perhaps he already had.

"Ahh, hyung," Youngjae consoled him. "As usual, our leader mistakenly finds fault only with himself."

Himchan hummed in agreement as the room fell silent one more time. The four victims were weary and unsure of the future that lay ahead, a future that saw them with one less member than with which they had started. 

Himchan casually tilted his head to observe Daehyun's watch. The day was drifting into afternoon and the ruse was still in play. He made eye contact with B.A.P's manager and raised his eyebrows inquisitively. The manager just shrugged, also wondering when the Hidden Camera would be revealed.

Himchan laid his eyes on Daehyun beside him who seemed to be lost in thought. Daehyun's mind was not even on the prank anymore. He thought about the warm things that Yongguk had said, and how uncharacteristic they were of their distant leader.

Of course, Daehyun and Yongguk always had positive things to say about each other. Yongguk thought Daehyun was good-looking, Daehyun thought Yongguk had great charisma, Yongguk thought Daehyun was a talented vocalist, Daehyun thought Yongguk was an inspiring leader, and the list went on.

But no praise ever extended beyond their roles as entertainers in the K-pop industry. If they had met in another life, a life not as idols but as students or as workers, there would probably be no reason for them to stay in touch. They were very different. They would have thought of each other as fond acquaintances, not as close friends. Only as idols did they work together, practise together and occasionally hang out cordially. 

So when Yongguk poured his heart out so genuinely, Daehyun found himself touched by the warm gesture and sorry that he had essentially tricked him into expressing it.

His train of thought was derailed when he felt Himchan's nails scratch the top of his hand to get his attention. He looked up to see the PD manager signalling to them discreetly with his fingers. He was counting down.

Oh here we go, thought Daehyun. 

3...

2...

1.

"This has been..." the staff member began.

The members looked up with interest while Daehyun stuck his fingers in his ears.

"B.A.P's HIDDEN CAMERA!!!!"

Himchan clutched his heart with surprise as the staff yelled in unison and the party poppers blew up from the floor. He laughed and cheered along with them and held out his hands for Daehyun who hi-fived them with vigour.

"Hidden Camera!"

"Hidden Camera!"

They called the chant together and cackled maniacally at the shocked reactions of their bandmates. Youngjae's jaw was on the floor.

"What?!!!"

Daehyun got on all fours and bowed humbly. "It was all a joke," he said to the floor.

Himchan mimicked him and put his hands on the floor. "Daehyun is not really leaving."

"You did very well, B.A.P!" The PD manager called out from behind the camera crew. "You all revealed your innocent charm through the Hidden Camera, thankyou for your hard work. We are very sorry!"

"Are you serious?" Youngjae wanted to slap everyone.

The evil jokers on the floor lifted their heads and bowed repeatedly.

"We are sorry!"

"We are very sorry, please forgive us!"

Daehyun leaned forward to pinch Youngjae's cheeks but the latter pulled away in disgust. Zelo had let his whole body drop to the floor, feeling both relieved and upset at the revealing of the hidden camera. Jongup's eyes narrowed into menacing slits, his mouth twisted in a horrible grimace exposing all of his teeth. He was positively irate.

"Why?" He whined. "Why would you do that?"

"Because I love you," Daehyun joked. Jongup turned up his nose.

"That doesn't make any sense!"

He yanked his arm away from Himchan who had tried to pull him in for a hug.

"Get off me, you punk!"

Himchan laughed at his cute and angry dongsaeng. Jongup swatted at him with all his strength but Himchan swiftly dodged. Unable to console one dongsaeng, he tried to reach for the other who was sobbing into the crook of his elbow face down on the floor.

"Junhong-ah come here," he cooed.

Zelo ignored him so Daehyun decided he would try for his attention. He tickled the maknae under the arm and promptly received an elbow to the jaw.

"Ouch!"

He massaged his jaw in surprise. "Geez, Junhong-ah, that hurt!"

"Good!" Zelo cried, sitting up and wiping his tears away. "You deserve it! And you!"

He viciously lunged for Himchan who jumped and ran away to the corner behind the camera crew.

"I'm sorry, Junhong-ah!" He called, scared to leave the safety of his corner. Zelo didn't have the will to chase him so he let himself drop back down to the floor.

"I hate both of you!" Youngjae stood up and yelled. "I hate you! How could you do that?"

"It was all their idea!" Daehyun shamelessly pointed at the PD staff, who guiltily looked up at the ceiling.

"I don't care! You went along with it so well!" Youngjae yelled even louder than before, his voice breaking on every second word. "I thought you were leaving for good!"

Daehyun tried to grip his shoulders but Youngjae wrestled his arms away. He eventually resorted to throwing both arms around his friend and squeezing as tight as he could.

"Get off, punk!" Youngjae tried to fight him off. He alternated between pushing at Daehyun's waist and beating him in the lower back with his fists. But the lump of beef was immovable.

"You're an idiot, Youngjae-ah!" Daehyun laughed into his ear. "You all are! How could you believe us so easily?"

Jongup stood up and pressed his forehead against the wall in dismay. Himchan left his corner and scurried over to console Jongup, wrapping his arms around his waist. "Jonguppie, you really are stupid. Hyung is not even that good an actor!"

Jongup said nothing in return and let his tears fall in silence. He could see out of the corner of his eye a camera zooming in on himself and Himchan and he wondered how much he would have to pay in damages if he punched out the lens.

"Hyungs are horrible." Zelo whispered, still face down on the floor. Himchan left Jongup at the wall and climbed on top of Zelo, resting his head on his back. So many dongsaengs to comfort, so little time, he thought.

"You are cruel, Jung Daehyun," Youngjae sobbed, salty tears dripping down his face. He had stopped struggling and let his arms go limp at his sides while Daehyun affectionately crushed him. "You are cruel, you are so cruel..."

Daehyun rocked him back and forth until finally his friend slowly lifted his arms to return the embrace.

"Please forgive hyung," Daehyun sang. "Do you still hate me?"

Youngjae scoffed into his shoulder.

"Yes."

Daehyun chuckled and let go of him so he could see his face. "You were so hilarious in your room!" He laughed.

He put on a whiny melodramatic voice and imitated Youngjae's plea. "'If this is a Hidden Camera prank, please stop it, stop this right now, it's not funny'. Aish, you almost broke my heart right there!"

He laughed out loud while Youngjae rolled his eyes and punched him in the shoulder. Himchan looked up from the floor and joined in the laughter. "Really?" He asked with surprise. "Youngjae guessed that it was a prank? Wah, I'm impressed."

Youngjae stomped over to kick Himchan in the ribs but Himchan rolled off Zelo out of the way before he could make contact.

Jongup turned around from the wall and took in a breath.

"Jongup-ah!" Daehyun called. "Junhong-ah! Are you mad at me?"

Jongup and Zelo death-stared him in reply.

"Ehh, come on."

Daehyun stepped over Zelo's body, thinking he could try winning Jongup's forgiveness first. He embraced Jongup with a death-trap hug and kissed his cheek which made Jongup giggle and push him away.

"Yuck, don't do that hyung," he whined, but he couldn't help letting a small smile spread over his lips. The hyungs happily took that as a sign of forgiveness.

"Ah, sweet Jongup always forgives his evil hyungs so easily," said Himchan, pinching his cheeks. He quickly withdrew his hand when Jongup threatened to bite off his fingers.

Zelo rolled over and sat up. "I can't believe how much effort you put in for this," he said. "The acting was unbelievable."

Himchan bowed deeply while Daehyun doubled over in laughter.

"I know!" Youngjae exclaimed. "PD-nim, why would you do that to us?"

The PD manager simply smiled. "I'm sorry, kids, but it is good for TV."

"Ayyy, seriously." Youngjae shook his head, beginning to smile as well.

The members carried on like that for a while, scolding each other and laughing, until they had eventually returned to being in good spirits, although they still secretly wanted to beat up Daehyun and Himchan for putting them through so much agony.

From the moment the Hidden Camera had been revealed, Yongguk had stayed quiet in the corner, shocked and angry that such an elaborate trick had been played on him and the others. Everything he ever felt self-conscious about, every concern he had about his leadership was brought to the surface when he was made to believe that one of his dongsaengs was leaving his group to pursue a solo career. To find out that it was all fake, that something so important to him was used as a joke for TV, made him feel embarrassed and betrayed.

He had watched on as Daehyun squeezed the life out of Youngjae and as Himchan tried to console the maknaes. Then he looked up at the cameras and the crew manning them. They were all smiling gleefully at the footage they were capturing and it made his blood boil. But as the members continued to yell at each other, his anger soon subsided till he was left feeling only sad and confused. He wasn't even sure why it bothered him so much. He felt a tightness in his chest form that made it difficult to breathe. The hair on his skin stood on end and he suddenly felt cold and hot at the same time.

But Yongguk didn't want to make a big deal out of it. It was just a prank, he told himself. If he showed his feelings, the members would feel burdened because he wasn't funny like Youngjae and Jongup, or cute like Zelo. He was leader Bang Yongguk.

He cautiously rose from the corner and walked along the back wall behind the other members who were now laughing and jeering at each other. None of them noticed as he slipped out of the room and made his way down the corridor to his bedroom. Only Jongup noticed but he didn't dare say anything, knowing that the leader obviously wanted to be alone. Yongguk closed the door behind him and sat down on his bed, burying his face in his hands. He stayed there with his eyes closed and waited for his laboured breathing to return to normal. How long that would take, he wasn't sure.

Minutes passed and the noise died down. Daehyun looked around the room and noticed something wrong with the numbers.

"Where's Yongguk-hyung?" He asked.

Jongup pointed hesitantly down the hall.

"He went to his room," a staff member spoke for him.

"Really?" Himchan suddenly looked concerned. "Ah, he must be angry."

Daehyun took in a breath and glanced at Himchan. The leader hadn't said a word when the prank was revealed and stupidly, neither Himchan nor Daehyun had noticed. Himchan beckoned Daehyun over and they fearfully made their way down the corridor to Yongguk's bedroom.

**** 

A/N

OMG I finally got this chapter up, I'm so sorry it took so long, I hope you guys are still reading and I hope this chapter isn't too messy. I haven't really read through it so I don't know how consistent it is, I am very sorry if it is confusing. I will edit it later.

I know I said this was going to be realistic but then I started writing for Bangdae's part and well, let's just say I had to delve in to the 'speculative' because I really don't know what these guys think of each other aside from what they've said in interviews (I obviously don't know the other members personally either but Bangdae is friggin' difficult man).

I also obviously have no idea about the structure of B.A.P's dorm nor the proximity of it to their recording studio so I had to guess the layout.

I don't know the format of Showtime nor do I have any knowledge of how TV production works either so I had to make that up hehe.

I was not sure if B.A.P's manager is the same as before so I did not give him a name, I only referred to him as "B.A.P's manager/manager-hyung/group manager". I hope it wasn't too confusing or repetitive. NOTE: B.A.P's manager who looks after the group is different to the PD manager who only looks after the show.

I also do not pretend to know anything about Yongguk's condition so I drew on my own experience with anxiety when I wrote his part.

And I PROMISE the next chapter is Bangdae, I didn't intend to have so much Daejae but it just happened naturally.

Thanks for reading, I hope this chapter has kept your interest :)