“Leave,” Kyungsoo spoke in low timber once again. 

It sent shivers up everyone’s back but only Jongin and Chanyeol wanted to back down.

Jongin looked at them. They had suddenly straightened their backs as they stared down at Kyungsoo. He tapped Kyungsoo on his shoulder, to draw his attention.

“Please, Don’t do this” he pleaded one more time, and now fully struggling to pull Kyungsoo back.

“Why don’t you just quit then!??”

Kyungsoo turned to look at Jongin. He stared at Jongin with his big eyes and shook his head. Gently peeling off his hand from his shoulder, he held Jongin’s hand and gave it a small squeeze, before letting it fall to the side. He turned his gaze towards Chanyeol and whispered, “Take him and leave.”

Chanyeol and he gaped as Kyungsoo folded the sleeves of his oversized T-shirt. 

 

“I won’t ask again,” Kyungsoo asked as he stepped away from Chanyeol and Jongin and towards them.

“Kyungsoo,” Chanyeol whispered as he tried to loop his hand on Kyungsoo to stop him. Kyungsoo glared at him and Chanyeol immediately stepped back. His face still had the question, ‘What’s going on?’ which he directed at Jongin now.

“Chanyeol, you know where to report bullying,” Kyungsoo asked. Surprised at sudden question Chanyeol nodded and and said,

“At the front desk, it shouldn't be an issue since the cameras are pointing at your back, the backyard doesn't have any cameras,” Chanyeol said as he gripped Jongin more tightly. 

The pits in Jongin’s stomach grew only deeper. He had finally gotten his hyung involved 

“Good, take Jongin and report them, I will see you both soon,” Kyungsoo said as he completely walked away from them, “let’s settle this once and for all.”

“Hyung,” Jongin tried, “let’s go together” 

but Kyungsoo was already being pulled away by them.

Jongin tried to break out of Chanyeol's hold to catch up to them but Chanyeol’s hold became stronger and pulled him tighter against his body.  

“Jongin, let us go and meet Sooyari unnie. She is the nicest one of them all at the manager’s cabin,”said Chanyeol loudly and grinned at him, but Jongin was close enough to see the slight hesitancy in that smile.

By the time Jongin turned to look, Kyungsoo was already led away by the other group, swallowed completely by their members. They left from the opposite end as Chanyeol dragged him back.

Jongin could only be dragged like a rag doll, his resistance had no effect on Chanyeol, who launched into a tirade of things. He started with choreography for a newly debut girl group. It did not serve as a distraction as Jongin kept glancing back but didn't realize that they had reached the cafeteria. Chanyeol pushed him inside by Jongin’s slumped shoulders.

“Phew, that was scary. Are you okay Jongin? Did they hurt? Where does it hurt?? anywhere??” Chanyeol asked anxiously as he looked him over for injuries.

“Wait hyung! No… Yes…I mean …wait, I…. am fine!!” Jongin mumbled as he pushed away Chanyeol. He looked up at his hyung, trying to understand what had just happened.

Looking at his trembling lips and hands, Chanyeol gently rubbed his shoulders and sat him on a chair, “easy, you are safe now, Jongin. C’mon, breathe with me, in and out.”

After several attempts, Jongin could feel more centered in his breathing. He remembered the questions, and said, “They didn't hit me, they were just saying the usual stuff.”

Hyung kept massaging his shoulders, and asked, “Were you supposed to come with me and Kyungsoo?”

“No, with Sehun and Junmyeon, but Junmyeon Hyung and Kris had a meeting. Sehun slept over at a friend's place, so he was coming with someone else.”

“Jongin, why did you come alone?” Chanyeol asked, voice soft and low.

Jongin knew he was told not to come alone, at least have someone with him in the training center. He knew he could have simply asked Taemin or Sehun to come early for him, but all he wanted to do was dance. He didn’t even get to do that. And now hyungs were involved.

“Are you really not hurting Jongin?” Chanyeol asked, tipping the water bottle towards him. He let the water cool his throat as he tipped his head back to drink. Once he was done, he rolled the bottle on the table and let his head rest on Chanyeol's arm on the back of his chair. 

He only had to rub his cheek and say, “hug please?” and a warm hug that simmered the anxiety within him  was what he received.

“Should we go to the infirmary?”
“no, Kyungsoo came in before they could do anything to me, I guess… but wait, no, they threw something at me, but Kyungsoo pulled me back.”

“That’s good. I mean it's not good that it came to this, but that we were there  before anything serious happened,” Chanyeol answered as he Jongin’s back in a soothing manner.

Silence filled up around them, both straining to hear any screams, grunts, hiss, or just about anything. All they heard was the usual cacophony of the center; music playing somewhere, taps of legs, and so on. 

Suddenly there was a shout, and they both sat up looking around. It was only a manager shouting at new trainees to get up on time. They both looked at each other and smiled. Suddenly Jongin had to ask

“Hyung? Will Kyungsoo be alright, right? They won’t do anything that will....right? Shouldn’t we….” Jongin said, clutching his hyung’s hand.

“Jongin, it’ll be okay,” Chanyeol rubbed his back. At his questioning face, Chanyeol replied, “He is a kick ninja! He will be alright!!” (I hope, he thought in his head)

“I don't want this to be an issue, hyung can we just...”

Chanyeol shook his head and gently rubbed circles on Jongin’s shoulder, “Don’t worry, Kyungsoo will be okay. If he told us to leave, then that is what we should do.”

“But they outnumber him!” Jongin all but shouted.

“I know, but trust me! Trust Kyungsoo, he will be okay” but Chanyeol was just as worried. He couldn't show it though, not right now, not in front of Jongin, so he got up, “…do you want some more water? Or coke, I think water should be good, we have longer dance practice today.” 

“No, hyung, why aren't you worried? Should we not be going to report it , for the cameras, what if they…” Jongin stood up with him and followed him to the fridge.

“Oh that! I lied about the cameras and reporting, only managers can be reported,” Chanyeol grinned as got three bottles of water from the cooler.

Jongin almost ran out the room, “then we shouldn't have left Kyungsoo alone there? What if they beat him up?”

“More like shouldn't we go and stop it then?” said Baekhyun as he entered the cafe.

Jongin was more scared than before. Still the two hyungs made him sit and drink water. They both looked hesitant but not worried, whereas Jongin was utterly terrified.

But they all flinched when they heard doors bang somewhere. Seeing his hyungs distracted and surprise made them loosen their hold on him, Jongin got up and ran out of the cafeteria.

Only to bump into Kyungsoo. 

Jongin almost fell because of the impact, but Kyungsoo caught him before he fell flat on the floor. Even though he was caught by the waist, Jongin was quick to grab Kyungsoo’s shoulder. he felt the shorter one wince, but before he could say anything,

“Good catch!” Chanyeol chirped as he and Baekhyun laughed at them.

“I told you!!! I told you that it would be helpful!! All those times you practiced catching us! See!! Wasn’t I right?? Wasn't it helpful??!” Baekhyun said with enthusiasm b out of him. 

Kyungsoo rolled his eyes as he turned Jongin before walking him towards the table. At the table, he turned to glare at Baekhyun and said, “I don’t need the practice. You two do it on purpose!!” Baekhyun and Chanyeol just laughed more loudly and high-fived each other.

Jongin was pushed down to sit on the chair. He turned to stare at Kyungsoo from his seat and found his sleeves were down again. 

Kyungsoo bickered with Baekhyun, while  holding Jongin’s shoulder, but the pressure had loosened. The warmth that had seeped in from contact started to recede as Kyungsoo retracted his hands.

Oddly, Jongin missed it. 

“Are you okay?” he asked Jongin. Jongin looked up and to his right to see Kyungsoo in his wobbly glasses.

“Me? Yeah I am fine, but you,” Jongin was surprised.

“Jongin, I am sorry,” he said solemnly as he kneeled on the floor next to him. his head almost touched Jongin’s knees

“For what?” Jongin asked, taken aback by the apology.

“For not stopping this earlier,” he whispered. Looking down and away, “For not standing up for you.”

“It’s not your fault, they were just messing with me! Maybe if I had…” Jongin said.

Kyungsoo looked up sharply at his words, and said with fire in his eyes, 

“No.”

“What?” Jongin pulled back.

“It is not your fault. They did what they wanted to do, not because of anything you did,” Kyungsoo said.

“He is right, Jongin! It is them who chose to pick on you because they were bitter about losing,” Baekhyun said gently as he hugged him from the back. 

‘When did hyung get up?’ Jongin thought.

Chanyeol rummaged through his bags and asked, “Choke or sweeps, shrimp?”

Kyungsoo huffed at him, “sweeps, i only use choke on you, bean pole.” 

Before he could take them from Chanyeol, Baekhyun untangled himself from Jongin and did it for him. Jongin stared at them as Baekhyun dragged Kyungsoo towards the long line of sink.

‘What just happened?’ Jongin thought and at Chanyeol's beckoning, he sat next to him.

“We were worried about you, all of us were. You are our precious maknae, so we wanted to get it sorted before they got out of hand,” Chanyeol said as he rubbed Jongin's arm in a soothing motion. “Junmyeon Hyung tried to settle matters with their leader, but apparently it only lasted so long. They did not hurt you right?”

“No, you were right on time before they could,” Jongin said, his daze was now receding about what exactly had happened. 

Chanyeol’s administration did help him calm his nerves. His shoulder slowly slumped under Chanyeol’s, who only pulled him in closer. Jongin closed his eyes.

“But you still had to listen to their bull. I’m sorry for that!” Jongin could only shake his head. In an effort to change mood, Chanyeol said, “I was going to be so furious with Kyungsoo!!”

“Why?” Jongin asked as he pulled away to stare at him.

 “He simply took off as soon as we entered, leaving me to sign him in, and just ran!!! I had to carry his bag and everything!!!” he sighed. “Should have guessed it was important. Are you sure you are okay, Jongin?”

Jongin let his head fall on the table. “What happened, Hyung? Out there?”

“Jongin!!! Are you okay?” Lu Han and Tao screamed as they entered the cafeteria, “Hyung texted us saying something happened!” 

Lu Han sat down opposite Jongin, and gulped water to cool down from all the running. Tao was about to sit next to Jongin when he saw Kyungsoo and Baekhyun at the taps. He rushed towards them grabbing Kyungsoo’s bag from under Chanyeol's legs.

“I did not text you,” Chanyeol pondered as he got up to grab more bottles of water, “I am guessing, Baekhyun did?”

“Guys, what is going on? Why did Baekhyun send the emergency text?” asked Minseok as he, Jongdae, and Sehun entered the cafeteria. 

“Jongin, are you okay?” Sehun immediately rushed to sit next to Jongin and wrapped him in a hug, Jongin found himself in a safe cocoon of warmth with Sehun on one side and Jongdae on the other. letting himself be comforted by their combined warmth and support, Jongin told him as much as he could. Between Sehun's hug and Jongdae's rubbing his back, the ice of nervousness and anxiety began to ebb even more. Minseok had gotten up to talk to Baekhyun. But they soon sat on the table blocking the view of everyone from outside. They let him say as much as he could and then hugged him even more tightly.

They sat in silence once more until Chaneyol got up to get more bottles of water.

“Baekhyun, did you text everyone?” Jongdae asked Baekhyun, and to him, “Jongin, do you want to go home for the day?”

“I don’t want to leave,” he said.

“Guys, the instructors are already calling for us!” Yixing said as he walked towards their table, “I think, few of us should start and let others join in later.”

Everyone, including Kyungsoo and Tao, by now had reached the table. 

Minseok said, “Yixing’s right. Jongin, Baekhyun and I will stay here. Rest of you go back. We will wait for Kris and Junmyeon to come back. We will talk it over and proceed from there. If the instructors ask about us…”

“We will tell them you guys have an upset stomach, come on!! Let’s go,” Sehun completed and nodded at everyone, before gently hugging Jongin as he got up.

As others walked out, Minseok stopped Kyungsoo before he could leave. Tao stood next to Kyungsoo, holding him by lower waist as they spoke 

When Lu Han whistled, they all filtered out one by one. Jongdae and Yixing exchanged looks and touched Minseok's shoulder as they left. When he returned to the table, he pushed Chanyeol out of the chair, and glared at him to leave.

“Yeah, we will be able to make up quickly,” Baekhyun said solemnly. He nodded at Yixing at the door.

Once the cafeteria was devoid of company, “Hyung, will Kyungsoo get in trouble because of me?” Jongin asked.

Baekhyun stared at Jongin and then at Minseok. Minseok wiped Jongin’s forehead with a towel and said, “No, Jongin. We had plans to handle if something like this happened. Is it luck or not, I don’t know, but it is over.”

 “What do you mean?” Jongin asked.

“We should wait for the leaders to come in,” Baekhyun said, effectively shutting down that conversation, “Hey Jongin!!! I heard you were practicing some choreography! How much did you learn?”