Minho’s phone lit up with a new notification. With a swift glide on the screen, he immediately saw their maknae’s latest post:

I JUST WANT TO SING

Stone Cold Sober

It had been an issue recently, when Taehyun told his hyungs he wanted to see them promoting, to continue and live the dream they worked so hard to make a reality, even without him. YG seems to understand Taehyun’s sentiment and accepted the proposal, but dealing with the other members was a mess.

“Do you think we’ll want to do tours without you?” It was Seunghoon’s irritated voice, his eyes glaring at Taehyun, all their supposed dinner left untouched in the middle of the table.

Jinwoo slowly tapped Seunghoon’s back to calm him, following a gentle: “Maknae-yah, please think about this again, we don’t want to promote without you.”

Taehyun wasn’t looking at any of them; he couldn’t, so his eyes remained on their table as he answered, “I just don’t want to hinder any of you. I know you’ve wanted to continue promoting and I can’t just make you wait for me.”

“We wanted to promote with you that’s why we’re waiting.” Seungyoon had been gripping the sill of the window beside their living room, listening patiently at the conversation but it seems like Taehyun’s concern made him lost his composure. “Don’t you want to be a part of WINNER anymore? Don’t you want to be with us anymore?”

Taehyun immediately shook his head, tears b the corner of his eyes – “I just don’t want to burden all of you any longer –”

“He’s ing sacrificing himself why are you all mad at him?”

Taehyun snapped his head to the direction where the familiar voice came and saw Minho by their door, his arms crossed across his chest as he wore the ugliest scowl any of the members has ever seen.

Seungyoon clicked his tongue and returned his gaze outside the window, Jinwoo was merely looking at all of them with a confused and worried expression. “We don’t want you to leave Taehyun-ah.”

“We’re supposed to be five…” Seunghoon added in a small voice, a sob threatening to escape from his throat, “Don’t leave us…”

“Hyung…” Taehyun couldn’t help but let the tears fall now as he sees Seunghoon crying, Seungyoon followed right after with a muffled sniff as he made Taehyun remember about their trainee days.

Jinwoo’s eyes were also a mess but he still tried to calm down the others.

Taehyun didn’t expect any of this, he never wanted to make four of the most important people to him cry because of his departure, if anything he was leaving because he wanted to see them happy.

In his blurred vision Taehyun can make out Minho’s figure as he  handed everyone tissues, and finally, when Minho reached him, Taehyun extended his arms to get the tissue Minho was supposed to offer. But the older gently pushed his arm aside and instead patted Taehyun’s tears himself without saying anything.

I met you in the dark

You lit me up

You made me feel as though

I was enough

Everyone had finally calmed down and decided to call it a night as they retreat back to their respective rooms. Minho, who was the only one who maintained his cool despite the mess, made himself responsible with the left over dinner and washed the plates on his own.  Taehyun had been away for so long so the hyungs used his former room as a storage of important collections with the makanae’s permission.

“You can sleep in my room, you know.” Minho announced with the tap water running in the background, talking to a half-asleep Taehyun who was uncomfortably trying to sleep on the sofa.

“I’ve been a burden enough hyung,” Answered Taehyun as he shifted yet again.

Minho finally cleaned the last of the plates and dried his hand as he made his way over to Taehyun, bringing a glass of water with him.

“Is this what you want?” The older asked, handling the glass to Taehyun who slowly sit up to make space for Minho.

“This is for the best,”

“But is it really?”

Taehyun can feel his eyes burning again with the heavy sinking feel of his stomach. “I don’t really want to talk about it but –”

“But you just want to sing, right?”

Taehyun nodded.

Minho sighed, sat beside Taehyun and offered his lap. “Then it won’t really make a difference, whether you’re with us or you’re not. Of course it’s better if you’re with us but as long as you continue doing what you want we’re just here,” Minho softly pulled Taehyun’s head down so the younger can rest on the other’s lap. “Supporting you, because that’s what we do right?”

Taehyun can still feel the sting in his eyes, and his hands clutched his shirt, “I don’t want to leave,”

“Of course you don’t,” Minho said, the palm of his hand Taehyun’s hair. “This is not goodbye.”

“Yes hyung.” Taehyun replied but the tears fell down none the less.

We danced the night away

We drank too much

I held your hair back when

You were throwing up

“This is not okay,” Seunghoon chanted for the nth time as they were working on the newest project the next day.

Minho was with him, patting his back every time the other rapper will rant about how their maknae is the center of their world. “It isn’t hyung, but it’ll all be. Taehyunnie will return to us once he’s ready.”

Seungyoon left that morning with a furrow on his brow when the four of them gathered inside Minho’s room to look over the still sleeping Taehyun. “What time should you be in the building hyung?” He asked Minho.

“Ten,”

“Then who will look over him?”

Seunghoon threw Minho a look and the other nodded, “I plan to be there at ten, tell the others Minho’s not feeling well.”

Jinwoo nodded, “Please don’t leave Taehyun alone,” He mumbled, yawning as he said so. “I want to look over him too but I need to be at the rehearsals at seven sharp.”

“I’ll look over him,” Minho promised, pulling the blanket up Taehyun’s neck.

“Did auntie say anything?” Seunghoon pressed, nibbling the tip of his ball pen.

Minho shook his head, “Not really, she just thanked me for bringing Taehyun back, also asked us to come visit every now and then,”

“Hell of course we’ll visit, the moment we have time you know we’ll visit.”

Two days after Minho talked with Taehyun’s mother, he received a text from the maknae, asking if he has some time to spare. Minho do not, not even a free second, especially with his departure to China nearing.

But Taehyun will always be the exception. Minho will make time for the younger. Always.

He was about to push the doorbell when the front gate of the Nam’s house opened with a wheeze, showing a brazen Taehyun who’s wearing a thin shirt despite the cold weather, “Hyung,”

Minho clicked his tongue at him as he removed his jacket and put it around Taehyun, “You’ll catch a cold.”

“But I’m literally a few steps away from my house.”

“And it’s still cold, I’m trying to look cool here, just take the damn jack