Rumours spread like wildfire, and a day later, mass of media and fans had already swarmed JYP Entertaintainment to get a word from President Jin Young himself. The members of 2PM were called in for a meeting, with the exception of Nichkhun, who still had to continue shooting for WGM.

"The crowd is getting crazy. They want to know what happened. But first, I need to hear the whole truth. I found out myself this morning, thanks to the media. How can Nichkhun not tell me?" JYP asked, very unhappy. He sat down in his chair and tipped his head towards Minjun, waiting for a reply. Minjun cleared his throat, trying to put a sentence together. He finally said, "We don't know either. He told us last night, after he had already left for WGM."

JYP got up and banged his fist on the table "That coward! Put him on the line. I need to talk to him." He motioned his secretary, who hurried off to dial Nichkhun's number. His anger was at his peak, everyone noticed. When Nichkhun finally picked up, the president snatched the phone away and placed it on speaker.

"YAH! Why didn't you tell me? Look what happened now!" He yelled, baring his teeth.

"Sorry hyung-nim....it's just that....you know what people would think of Victoria if I told someone. I didn't realize that any sort of rumour could spread. We were careful."

"What are you going to do now?! There are medias everywhere, and fans are throwing stones at my bodyguards. Find a place to hide and don't go outside. I need to sort this up. Make sure you answer my call when I call you later, understand?!" He slammed the phone on the table and looked at the boys. "Don't move." He warned them. After that, he left his office.

The boys exchanged nervous glances. Wooyoung was back again, after his doctor gave him the green light to leave last night. They were now staring at him, wondering what to say to him, but he casted his eyes down and said he was alright. Taecyeon and Minjun didn't believe it for a second. Taecyeon, being the nearest to Wooyoung on the couch, placed both his arms around Wooyoung and held him tight. But the younger boy did not cry or push him away. He just sat there, motionless, with no expression on his face to show any signs of hurt or upset.

"Look Youngie, you don't have to hold back, you know. Let it go." Junho said. But there was still no reaction. Junho looked worriedly at Chansung, who simply bit his lips. Minjun sat back against the couch and finally said, "Ahh Youngie ah, forget about him. Just move on. Right now we got a bigger problem to deal with. I'm just afraid that 2pm would not be the same again. I mean...after losing Jay...." His voice faded off. "No, I won't allow another member to leave. We're a family. If people ended up breaking us apart, I won't forgive myself. I don't mind losing a few fans, but I can't bear losing a family member."

Wooyoung nodded to agree. So was everyone else. They needed to pull through together, and Nichkhun took his responsibility, didn't he? That was noble in their opinion. 

"Right! So what are we planning to do now?" Taecyeon asked enthusiastically.

"Hyung-nim told us not to move."

"Well, you know we don't always have to listen to him. No, we have to help him clear this matter up. If we just keep quiet, people are going to assume the truth." Minjun said, placing a hand on Junho's shoulder.

"What do we do then?" Chansung asked this time.

"We go out there and talk."

The boys left in a line. Everyone was nervous about the outcome. What if their fans don't accept this? Will they end up getting thrown away like Jay? The world can be cruel sometimes, but it was best to fight for it till the end. 

JYP was surprised to see them outside his office. He urged them to go back into his office and keep a low profile, but Minjun insisted on explaining the situation. After much consideration, Jin Young admitted defeat. The boys followed him to the conference room and when the doors opened, the blinding flashes of camera lights almost blinded their eyes. Questions poured in like rain in a matter of seconds. Everyone wanted a closer view, to capture their emotions and actions. JYP took a seat at the biggest chair placed in the room and faced his board of directors. "It is time to discuss the matter regarding one of our stars who had impregnated another celebrity." He started, and all voices in the room hushed down. 2PM stood behind him with their hands in front, and Minjun stood in the middle, with his head up. There was no backing out.

"What do you have to say to this, Mr. President?" One of the directors asked. He is the highest shareholder in the company, after the President. With a thinning hairline and a round wrinkled face, his anger was something that nobody should make a joke out of. At the present moment, he was calm. Too calm. It was unnerving to the other directors, but JYP stared at him head-on. "How could you keep from us too? A secret like this attracts the most out of the media." He added in a croaky old voice.

"First off, I want to start with a public apology. Nichkhun had told me the whole story, that he was taking the responsibility as he should to make sure that Victoria's name is not soured. It's been confirmed that the child belongs to him, and proper arrangements to place them into the marriage life will be commenced."

Wooyoung's heart skipped a beat. Marriage?

"They are currently filming WGM together. But in the show, they are supposed to act as a fake couple. Does this mean they have been dating for real since they started?" A journalist asked.

"I cannot disclose that information at the present moment."

"Will the show continue then?" Another journalist asked.

"Most probably, yes."

"The fans are pretty angry about the recent upturns of events. Will 2PM continue as a group even after the marriage?"

"Yes." Minjun cut in. "We are currently preparing for another upcoming concert. We have promised our fans to provide a fruitful performance and 2PM will not back down."

The others looked at him admiringly. Way to go, hyung!

"As he said, 2PM will still continue with Nichkhun, but the only changes will be that Nichkhun would be officially married. We apologize to the fans and hoped that they will continue to support 2PM. He has taken the responsibility of looking out for Victoria's well-being." JYP added. He looked at all the faces of the directors, some disgusted while others remained calm. "We understand that there is a policy to maintain a pure image to our stars. However, let me be clear on this matter. After the departure of JaeBeom, I don't intend to risk the exclusion of another member. They started as a group of 7, and after the unfortunate incident of 2PM's ex-leader, they ended up in a group of six. I want  this number to remain."

"Has SM Entertainment said anything in regards to this?"

"No, I have not communicated with them yet, but I will soon."

"What are your plans to ensure Nichkhun's safety at the present moment? There will be angry people who would stop at nothing to hurt Nichkhun. This may slow down the training process for 2PM, and there's an upcoming concert too." Another director asked, sitting next to JYP.

"I will personally go down to the WGM set and negotiate on a change of schedule." JYP said. "At the meantime, we will stop all of Nichkhun's planned commercials. But he will continue for the concert." He turned his attention to the media and then remarked, "Yes, he had done a shameful deed but he took the responsibility for it. He has been a favored star in our company as of all our 2PM members. I apologize once again for this. This will conclude our discussion. Thank you." With that, he got up and walked out, followed by Minjun and the rest of the group.

________________________________

JYP left to see Nichkhun right after the conference, while the boys returned to their dorm. Wooyoung was so stressed out from the whole event that he decided to practice on his dance, so he left alone. This went on for about two hours before he felt a slight dizziness in his head. He quickly sat down and drank some water. But the dizziness remained. "Ah...I guess this is what I get for being stubborn. " He chuckled to himself.

Feeling under the weather suddenly, he cleaned up his belongings and hurried back to the dorm. Taecyeon was there to welcome him back first. "Hey Youngie." He said sadly. "Where were you?"

"Practice."

"Everyone took a nap. The whole event really stressed us out." The older boy said. "I bet Nichkhun feels it the worst. He has to deal with it alone over there and I'm really worried about his safety. I tried calling him but he didn't pick up. I hope he knows that we're still here for him."

"He knows." Wooyoung said, sure of it.

He excused himself off for a shower. Once inside his room, he whipped out his phone and began dialling Nichkhun's number. Just like Taecyeon, he was genuinely worried. They had been best friends for such a long time. He didn't want to let matters like his emotions get in the way of their friendship. The phone was ringing, but no one picked up. He tried again. And again. After the fifth time, he almost gave up.

But then..."Hello?" came a tired voice.

"Hyung..."

"Woo...young? Is that you? Oh, I'm sorry. I thought it was another crazy fan."

"Where are you?" A part of Wooyoung wanted to believe that this was all a dream; that Nichkhun was just lying for the sake of Victoria.He knew how noble Nichkhun tend to be whenever it came to girls.

"I'm at the house here. There's people everywhere, but I managed to comfort Vic enough until she fell asleep. I'm so tired..."

"I know. You sound tired. Have you seen JYP yet? He took a flight to your place few hours back."

"Oh really? Well, I should be expecting him soon then. How are you doing now, sweety?" Wooyoung felt tears in his eyes as Nichkhun said this. Even in the midst of all this, he was still worried about Wooyoung's health.

"I'm good. The doctor said I'm completely healed now, but I have to slow down on vigorous activities for a week or two. Then maybe everything will go back as it is." Wooyoung assured him.

"That's good. Oh, something is happening outside. I think hyung nim is here. Can I talk to you later?"

"Yeah sure." Before Nichkhun put down the phone, Wooyoung said, "Everything will be ok, baby. We're here for you. And hyung....I still believe you." And then the line went dead. Nichkhun stared at his phone, feeling a sudden surge of happiness and regret. He was happy that Wooyoung still accepted him after he had countlessly hurt the younger boy. But he suddenly regretted for not telling the truth. He should have known that Wooyoung would always believe him. He felt like an idiot. After the meeting with his boss, he promised himself that he will reveal everything to Wooyoung. 

The bedroom was dim as he changed his clothes, preparing to meet the president. Victoria slept soundly on the bed, and he was glad of that. He didn't want her to get overly emotional over the whole commotion. It might hurt her, and the baby. He scratched his head and wondered again how the rumors could even spread so fast. "Huh.....this is Korea, after all. Everyone knows everything." He whispered to himself.

Once downstairs, JYP was sitting on the dining chair, staring off at the wall in front of him. He wasn't angry anymore, just a little tired. Traveling always drains his energy faster than dancing.

"Hyung-nim." Nichkhun greeted. He took a seat next to JYP and embraced for a scolding.

"What really happened? Is it really yours? And don't lie to me." The questions were simple, and it had not been a scolding.

"No..." Nichkhun admitted. "I just....I care about her."

"But to put down the whole company for someone who isn't even signed under us, isn't that just....too much? Let SM deal with her. She was the one who went around getting laid. Why are you admitting for her mistake?"

"I....I don't know what to say, hyung nim. Sorry."

"Aish!" JYP scratched his head, at a loss. "Pabo!" He hit Nichkhun on the head. "You really put me in a mess right now. I don't know what to do. At least the conference went well for now. I don't think I know how to deal with the fans. You know what happened to Jay right?"

The question brought back memories of the time 2PM were a group with a potential future, where no one could stop them. They turned into a family who cared for one another. Just because of one stupid comment, their whole world changed. Nichkhun remembered the whole timeline of the event until the day Jay left Korea. It was devastating.

"Sometimes I worry about you, Khun. You were always so worried about fitting in. And you always had a soft spot for women. But this is what you get for being too nice. Sometimes you have to let the girl fall." JYP advised him. "You will come back and remain hidden for a while. I told the WGM set to reschedule the show and postpone it until June. So that's a two months break for you."

"I can't go back, hyung nim....I have to take care of Vic. If people found out we are living separately, wouldn't that just make the situation worse?"

"YAH! Do you know that the only other option right now is to openly get married? Do you want that? You're too young! No, I'm going to talk to SM and tell the president everything. We can work something out. As for you, you are coming back for a while. If not a month, at least for a week. Keep a low profile and see what happens."

Nichkhun simple agreed, knowing no other option. He didn't want to get married yet, to be honest. He still had a lot to do in life. And a lot of apologies that he needed to make to the one person he loves. Wooyoung.

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This is by far the longest, but all things have been sorted out. Next will be !!! Tam ta da~!