“WHAT?!”

Niel’s eyes went wide as he grabbed the younger’s shoulder. “Changjo-ya…”

Why did you tell them about this!?

“That night…” Changjo had his head lowered and both hands balled into fists. “I always want to ask him about what happened that night… But… I-I just don’t have the courage to—”

------Flashback------

“Cheers!!” Ricky shouted as he raised his half-empty glass of wine. C.A.P followed right after and gulped it down in one-go. “—Cheers!!”

“I don’t understand what we’re doing right now…” Changjo shook his head and leaned lazily on the sofa. “We shouldn’t celebrate this…”

“So what?” Chunji frowned and leered at the youngest. “The fact that Infinite defeated us today at M!Countdown doesn’t mean that we should be sad, right? Besides, we’re celebrating ourselves as the second winner… Nothing’s wrong with that… It’s a great achievement too, ya’know…”

“Yeah! We didn’t reserve this VIP room just to hear your complains, Changjo! Just drink!” Ricky shoved a wine bottle to Changjo and the latter groaned in annoyance.

“Geez… Our company forbid us to drink alcohol, remember?” Changjo rolled his eyes and put the bottle back to the table.

“Who cares?” C.A.P said half-drunk then poured his empty glass again. “Just shut up and have some fun, can you?”

Changjo sighed deeply as he fixed Niel’s position who already sprawled at the sofa. “Let me remind you all. I can’t drive so at least one of you needs to stay sober if we want to go home safely…”

“Don’t worry. I didn’t drink much…” L.Joe smiled at him before he stood up. “Just call me when you guys are done, okay? I want to go out for a while… I need some fresh air…”

“W-wait, hyung!” Changjo abruptly stood up from his seat. “Let me go with you too… I can’t stand with these drunk people together…”

L.Joe nodded and motioned him to go out from the VIP room. Both of them walked through the dim corridor and unwillingly stopped when they heard familiar voices at one room. L.Joe had his both eyebrows furrowed and took a peek inside the room through the glass window. Much to his surprise, he found Infinite’s members sat together with some managers and their CEO. They were drinking and laughing happily, celebrating their first ever win since debut.

“Crap… They are here too?! You gotta be kidding me…” Changjo cursed under his breath and instantly felt annoyed at the scene.

L.Joe scoffed and tightened his both fists. “Let’s go, Changjo-ya…”

Right when they were about to walk out from the front door, they unexpectedly found Hoya and L was standing there. L.Joe instantly pulled Changjo back and both of them just stayed in the dark, witnessing everything before them in silence.

“—I bet that bastard named L.Joe is so pissed right now… Hahaha… Did you see his face, hyung?” L chimed in satisfaction when he remembered how his rival’s face looked so annoyed back then.

“Stop mocking him… I want to know how your face look like if you’re the one on his shoes…” Hoya playfully hit L but the visual of the group just smirked.

“Hey… Infinite is better than Teen Top, okay? No one can deny that fact…” L took a deep breath before he eyed the black sky with a grin. “I’m soooo damn happy that we finally beat them today…”

“Yeah, I’m happy too… But I feel bad for Teen Top too… their song is good, though.” Hoya rubbed his chin before L looked at him with a confused look. “Oh come on, hyung! Don’t be like that! It serves them right! They are destined to be a loser!”

L.Joe was close from tackling L to the ground and punched him endlessly. Fortunately, Changjo was there to hold him back. “No, hyung!! Just ignore what he said!!”

“…Bastard…” L.Joe gritted his teeth and his whole muscles tensed up hearing L’s words. Just wait until I kill you…

“Ya, just because you hate L.Joe, please don’t be immature and blame his group as well…” Hoya flicked his forehead and L rubbed the spot with an annoyed expression.

“Whatever… I don’t care about them.” He then grabbed both of Hoya’s shoulders and beamed him a wide smile. “Say… you will go with me now, right?”

“Myungsoo-ya… can you just drive alone?” Hoya responded reluctantly and L showed him a wider grin. “Come on, hyung… Just accompany me for a while, hmm? It’s raining now and I really hate to drive alone… Please…?”

“Why me? I don’t even step down to the dance floor yet… Just ask our manager to accompany you…” Hoya was about to turn back to the room when L caught his elbow.

“Hyung~~~! I can’t ask anyone but you! They are all too busy with themselves… so please…?”

“Aishh… where do you want to go at this time, huh? Our party is not over yet and why are you like this? Who’s the one talking with you on the phone before? Is it really an important call?” Hoya looked at the younger curiously.

“Then you should go with me to find out! Come on, hyung! It will be more fun if you come too!” L started to drag Hoya out from the club but the dancing machine tugged him back.

“Kim Myungsoo! Can you just wait until the party is over?! Aren’t we, Infinite, not important for you too?!”

“Aniya… Why are you thinking like that? Of course you guys are important for me!” L pouted before he slung an arm to Hoya’s shoulder. “Let’s go, he’s waiting for me—I mean—us!!”

“No!” Hoya pulled back from L who was now frowned at him. “I don’t want to go until the party is over… End of discussion…”

L glared at Hoya like a little kid failed to get a candy from his mom and stomped his feet on the ground angrily. “Fine! I will just go by myself!”

“Y-ya—!”

Hoya was about to pull him back to the club, but L just yanked his hand away. “Please tell everyone that I took our trophy for a while with me because I want to show it to someone special tonight… See you at the dorm, hyung!”

“Why are you so stubborn!?” Hoya propped his both hands on his hips. “Ya! Could you just stay for another hour?! I swear I will accompany you, then…”

“No, hyung… It will be super late… I will be okay…” L smiled at his older brother than waved his hands while walking away to the parking lot. “Please send my farewell to sajang-nim too! Bye!”

Hoya was near to throw his complains again, but too bad the guy named L was already far away from his reach, walking to the parking lot.

“Aishh that jerk…” Hoya sighed deeply then shoved both of his hands to his pocket then walked back to the club. He was about to make a turn at the corridor when he caught two familiar figure hiding on the side of the wall. His lips formed an ‘O’ and his eyes were close from falling out.

“Y-you guys—“

“Oh! A-annyeonghaseyo!!” Changjo quickly bowed to his senior before he forced L.Joe to do the same but the latter just too stubborn and just stood still. He was glaring at Hoya right now to be exact.

“H-hello…” Hoya had his one hand to the back of his neck, rubbing it awkwardly before he bit his lips, showing a guilty look. Dammit… they didn’t hear what Myungsoo said earlier, right?

“I-I will leave first, then…” Hoya faked a smile before he escaped himself from the awkward situation with two members of Teen Top.

Changjo gave a last bow to Hoya and watched him gone back to his room. “Hyung, we—” His eyes widened when he couldn’t see any sight of L.Joe beside him anymore.

“L.Joe hyung!!”

He ran to the entrance door and found L.Joe already walking to the parking lot. “Hyung! Where are you going!?”

“I’m in a super bad mood right now… So you better not in the way if you don’t want me to kill you…”

L.Joe warned Changjo with a menacing glare, making him gulping nervously. Slightly felt afraid with this version of L.Joe. … L.Joe hyung really get angry because of L hyung’s words!

“H-hyung… Why don’t we just go inside and get some moves at the dance floor so then you would—”

“I said… I will kill you if you’re in my way.”

L.Joe said in a firm tone and Changjo instantly shut his mouth tight this time. There wasn’t a slightest hint of joking and his face was dead serious. His stare was terrifying; as if it was trying to send daggers to everyone he saw. But he didn’t want his older brother to do something stupid just because of some harsh words from his rival. He didn’t want L.Joe to do something reckless that might makes him regret for the rest of his life.

“…Umm… y-you’re not going to chase L hyung… right…?” The youngest asked anxiously as he could see that L.Joe’s eyes already flamed in anger.

“No… I’m not going to chase that —” L.Joe retorted back with the flattest tone ever and Changjo was about to sigh in relief when L.Joe suddenly continued his words.

“—But I’m going to kill him.”

L.Joe shoved Changjo away then strode to his car madly, leaving Changjo’s mouth left in agape and gasped loudly. “Hyung—don’t!!!”

“Aishh! I totally can’t sleep!!” Changjo grunted then sat up on his bed. He let out a deep sigh before he retreated himself to the kitchen, getting a bottle of cold water from the fridge.

It’s already 4AM and L.Joe hyung is still not come back yet… He is okay, right? He is not… doing what I think he’s doing… right?

He gulped down the water bottle in one-go before he put the bottle at the counter. Closing his both eyes, his grip on the bottle tightened. He didn’t do anything to L hyung… right?

Suddenly, a loud screeching sound could be heard followed with a soft thud. Changjo flinched on the spot before he wasted no time to take a look at the front door.

Shocking him to the bone, there was someone sitting breathlessly at the door. His back was leaning at the wall beside the door and his face looked pale white like ghost. His eyes showed nothing but emptiness and Changjo instantly ran to his side when he finally recognized who the figure was.

“—L.Joe hyung!!”

He the light and gasped almost immediately when he saw L.Joe’s white button-up shirt was now already soaked in red color. Not to mention that his whole body was soaked as well, probably because of the heavy rain outside. The second Changjo realized what was the stain on his shirt was, he swore he felt his heart stopped from beating.

It was blood.

“Aniya… H-how can I… A-aniya…” L.Joe’s body was trembling badly and had his both hands covering his eyes tightly.

“Hyung, are you okay!? Did someone hurt you!?” Changjo grabbed both of his shaking hands, not even caring if his own hands would be stained in blood too.

All L.Joe did was just shaking his head. He looked beyond terrified and Changjo studied how his red eyes already produced tears by now.

“Hyung!!! What the hell has happened?!??! Don’t scare me like this!!”

Still, L.Joe just shook his head and his tears came out from his eyes nonstop like a mini waterfall. He kept repeating the words “aniya” and “how can I” continuously and Changjo grew more panic when he caught a number of bruises on his arms.

“L.Joe hyung!!! Did you hear me!? W-what happened to you!?” Changjo shook his shoulders a couple of times, but the boy in front of him remained motionless. All he did was just had his head shook, muttering some incoherent words with a set of horrified look on his face.

“W-what’s going on—oh my God!!”

Niel was the first one came out from his room because he heard loud noises and automatically shrieked in horror when he saw Changjo and L.Joe. Even though he was still in a hangover state, he managed to stay conscious to take in everything happened before him.

“Hyung! What’s wrong!?” Niel’s eyes were already as big as golf balls as he traced L.Joe from head to toe. Nothing good came to his vision and with that he grew frightened as well.

“H-he isn’t answering…” Changjo looked at Niel with teary eyes. “A-and he is b-bleeding…”

Niel noticed how afraid the youngest’ had been and instantly slung an arm to L.Joe’s waist, helping him to stand up. “Come on… We need to lie him down first…”

Both of them rapidly put their hyung to lie down on the sofa at the living room before Changjo ran to the bathroom to get a towel. Niel sat on the floor beside L.Joe and tossed away the dampened bangs that covered L.Joe’s pale face. He leered down to the shirt that already soaking in blood before he studied L.Joe’s black jeans that were covered with dirt and brown stains.

What the hell is happening to him?!

L.Joe’s breaths were uneven and he didn’t stop from crying, making Niel to grow even more tensed up than before. Changjo came back with a towel a minute later then instantly wiped L.Joe’s face and neck.

“What’s going on…?” Chunji came out with half-lidded eyes.

He caught two of his brothers at the living room busy wiping someone at the sofa with a towel. He rubbed his eyes to get a better vision then narrowed his gaze at the figure at the sofa. In a split second, Chunji knew who it was and ran to approach him as well, almost tripped himself on the carpeted floor.

“B-byunghun!!” His eyes grew wide at the sight before he looked worriedly at the other two. “What is happening to him!?”

“W-we don’t know…” Changjo replied in a shaky voice before Niel also shook his head, showing he had no idea about what has happened to L.Joe as well.

“I-I will call the ambulance!!”

Chunji was about to go to his room to get his phone when he felt a cold hand gripped his wrist. Slowly, he turned his head only to be greeted with a pale L.Joe who shook his head at him along with a pair of red-teary eyes.

“N-no… An-andwae…”

“What are you saying?! Are you crazy!? You need to be treated at the hospital!” Chunji glared at him, not because he was mad but more likely because he was worried to dead with his best friend.

“N-no… I-I’m fine…” L.Joe answered between hitched breaths as he tried his best to sit up straight on the sofa. Niel and Changjo swiftly helped him and the latter had his head hung low, still with trembling body and eyes forming tears.

“I-I just… need some r-rest…”

He was close from standing up to go to his bedroom, when Chunji pushed him down to sit again. “No!! You need to go to the hospital now!”

“Chunji-ya… I’m o-okay…” He faintly smiled as he tried to stand up again with both Niel and Changjo’s help who already exchanging confused glances to each other.

“But you are bleeding! A-and you are crying as well! What happened to you?!”

“N-nothing… I-I’m okay…” L.Joe walked in a slow pace to his room with Niel and Changjo on each side before he wiped his tears then turned his head to look at Chunji.

“D-don’t call the ambulance… or… anyone… N-nothing happened. I’m f-fine…”

With those words, Chunji went speechless. As if his feet rooted to the ground, he just watched his pained best friend