“Hyung,” Junmyeon whispered, “His blank face is back, isn’t it?”

“Yes, it is,” Minseok added in a hushed voice.

“How am I supposed to face either Dohs now?” Junmyeon groaned.

Baekhyun looked around, asked, “Why did Soo’s brother come that day? Even Chanyeol was upset after the meeting.”

Junmyeon avoided his gaze, so Baekhyun locked it with the other hyung. He blinked fast like a cute puppy, hoping to weasel out information.

“Don’t look at me,” Minseok gruffed, “I definitely am not going to tell you.” 

“Hyung!” Baekhyun whined as started pulling Minseok’s sleeve. Though Minseok tried to shake it off, Baekhyun’s grip was no joke.

“Yah!! Don't do that!! I already had to deal with Whiny Jongdae today!! Don't you dare imitate him!! And stop pulling my shirt, this is my favorite one!!!” Minseok said as he pulled his shirt out of his grip.

Junmyeon slightly lifted his head. He glanced sideways at them.

What was the reason to hold back trust? After all this time.

He looked at Baekhyun, fidgeting in his chair and still whining at Minseok. Although he looked like trying to break the wall of Minseok, his microexpressions were clear, it was like he had been personally attacked. 

Tongue tied and hands behind his back, unable to do anything.

Just Like how Junmyeon felt. 

Like Junmyeon felt every single time in the talk with higher ups about how staff and other trainees treated them as a group. 

He took a deep breath. Letting his back as he leaned back into his chair.

“Baekhyun, if we tell you, will you change the way you are with some people?” Junmyeon asked. 

Minseok whipped towards and peered at him, “seriously?”

“Yeah, I trust him,” he said, gesturing at Baekhyun. 

Baekhyun’s eyes grew big with surprise. 

“But, Hyung, only IF you agree with it. If you don’t, then we will drop it.”

Minseok considered Baekhyun while staring at him. Baekhyun was still reeling from Junmyeon’s words when Minseok nodded in agreement to Junmyeon.

“Baekhyun, this does not go out, okay? We had to sign NDAs’, this is that big of a deal. If you utter a word of this, then there will be consequences and none of us will be able to defend you. Do you still want to know?” Junmyeon asked Baekhyun, who was sitting up straight with a ram rod spine.

Baekhyun gulped nervously, before he answered, “I promise.”

Minseok and Junmyeon nodded and were having a staring contest on who would begin when baekhyun 

“Is it about…does it have to do with Kyungsoo being in a gang?” Baekhyun stated.

“A gang? And Kyungsoo?? Pfft!” Minseok sputtered. 

He glanced, as he laughed at the irony, at Junmyeon and gestured to him to start.

“So you know how Kyungsoo comes from the suburbs right? (Baekhyun nodded at that)Well, going back even further, he grew up with his grandparents. They lived in a small farming town. He was there until middle school and then his family had to move back with the grandparents. His brother had to take an early military enlistment to cope with changes. With the small house, Kyungsoo was shifted to the city with his aunt to attend school.”

Junmyeon paused to breathe out, “bullies found him. It escalated as time went on to the extent that physical injuries were a weekly event.”

“He didn’t report it?” Baekhyun said, suddenly leaning forward. 

“The bullies were either school toppers, well connected with school administrations, or they pretty much owned the school,” Minseok said as he grabbed Baekhyun to lean on him.

Junmyeon continued, “the bullying continued, the nurses could only record his presence in the infirmary and injuries. Teachers were told to turn a blind eye, and so were the nurses. It went on for a long time.

“Then one day, they forced girls from their school to an open park. The park was close to Kyungsoo’s place and he would often wander there. He saw and knew the girls were being forced and with how late it was, he knew it wasn't leading to anything good. He followed them discreetly and Before they crossed a line, he intervened. his pouncing on them giving the girls a chance to run away” Junmyeon paused to bang his head back on the table. soft fingers started patting his head.

Minseok continued, “He intervened hard. Like fingers crushed, ribs fractured, and his own hands had so much bone damage. When the police arrived, they thought it was an all out gang war.”

“Wait wait wait!! So he knew how to fight?” Baekhyun asked.

“Uhh, yeah? I mean, he still can,” Junmyeon asked, with head still on the table, “you’ve seen him wrestle Chanyeol and win. He has won against you as well right??”

“That’s different!!!” Baekhyun screeched. Minseok stopped patting Junmyeon to pull at Baekhyun's ears so he would sit back down.

“Well, back in the village, there were only two activity centers, one for martial arts and the other for singing,” Junmyeon said. He turned his head to stare at Minseok, who sighed, knowing that it was his Que to continue not only talking but also pat his head. 

“The police almost charged him with gang violence, by the sheer amount of people he had injured. The girls had fled as soon as Kyungsoo had intervened, but one of them was still in the park waiting for her mother and they were his guranteers. Her mother is one of the most sought out lawyers even today, so the police had to give in to her demand to let him go. She decided to be his lawyer. Along with the police, they exposed the school and bullying cases they were hiding. 

“The nurses’ records, hospital bills, CCTV cameras, testimonies of other students, and the list went on that proved Soo’s innocence. But Kyungsoo” Minseok paused to let out a deep sigh and continued, “he did not say a word. He did not defend himself, to press charges, or even explain what had happened. Only when they brought the girls in, who started crying and apologizing that he even said 'it was not your fault'” Minseok paused to gulp down his feelings. 

Junmyeon raised his head and caught Minseok’s hand and held it.

Minseok paused to drink water that Junmyeon had uncapped for him.

“What happened next?” Baekhyun whispered from criss crossed hands on the table

“His brother was able to get statements from him. Based on that and the evidence the judge pushed the case against the entire school and school administrations. They managed to not get media attention and were buried thanks to deep pockets of the bullies but the damages they had to pay was even steeper. They used that to rusticate Kyungsoo from school without as much as a certificate. His brother had no option but to take him back to the village.”

“Then how did he get scouted?”

“Compulsory school trip to the city. He was singing to a child crying in the park when the trainers heard him. They made an offer but only his teacher showed interest and got him to audition. Chanyeol will tell you that it was a formality,” Junmyeon said.

“You should know it too! How annoying Chanyeol was that day!” Minseok quipped. 

“Did he do it on purpose then?”

“No, i don't think so”

“Oh,” Baekhyun whispered.

“He didn’t want to be an idol. He was just good at singing, that is what he told to the recruiter and the Head at the auditions,” Junmyeon said with a small smile. Still in those memories he continued, “he was so apprehensive of everyone. Looking over his shoulders constantly, crouching whenever someone tried to hug him, for someone to finally start hitting him. Like he was waiting for the other shoe to drop,” he stopped. He ran a hand through his now sticky hair as he said, “you have no idea how glad I was when I saw him getting along with others without that apprehension.” 

“I was so surprised that he even came to talk to me that day, the whole ‘never let Jongin be alone’ plan. He told me that it would only work temporarily. If it wasn’t sorted out soon, they would escalate,” Minseok piped in, “only for him to sort it out.”

“How can you be so sure?” Bakehyun asked.

“If he said he sorted it and I believed him that he sorted it out, but...I... just…” Junmyeon started but couldn't finish. Minseok easily grabbed his hand to pull in for a hug. It was awkward, both of them sitting down, but somehow they managed it.

“We just wish it was not him. That too him being involved directly and like this,” Minseok finished Junmyeon’s sentence,“because for him, this is personal. It took over a year for him to warm up to us. Despite it all, he still only seeks out Tao and maybe Lu Han, sometimes. We were quite shaken when his brother visited and told us about what happened. And even more so when we saw him stand up against the instructor insulting non – Korean trainees.”

Baekhyun nodded, of course he understood. 

Kyungsoo was the type to help out silently, behind the curtains. He had no hesitancy in learning from members younger than him. Baekhyun remembered how he approached him during the vocal training. Kyungsoo never refused to stay back and practice with, or for that matter for anything. Cooking late nights, grabbing things without being asked and so on. Even when they had a long day. Kyungsoo was more likely to drag him back to dorms, but still never had Kyungsoo said no to him. 

Whenever Chanyeol and he had physical brawl with Kyungsoo, Kyungsoo overpowered them, effortlessly and easily every time. They would laugh it off, but Kyungsoo apologized every time when they were off camera. 

Baekhyun wondered as Jongin joined them, if they would be okay after this.