A/N : Read A/N at the bottom to win karma points!  I'm sorry, readers for failing you. I'm sorry, Jong Dae for failing you too. This is one looooooong chapter, the longest so far, hope you enjoy and it makes up for it. Happy belated birthday, uri Chen ~

Seconds. Minutes. Hours. It all felt the same as the clock ticks away and time blended together as they wait. Jong Dae was restless as he walked up and down Min Seok's small, cramped yet freakishly neat room. A million thoughts and images jumped around in his mind and if he had to guess how it's like to have your life flash before your eyes when you are about to die, this must be pretty darn close. All these thoughts he had forced himself to forget surfaced out of his mind crashing into him one by one like heavy waves just before a storm was coming. Jong Dae had pride himself to be a pretty positive person before all of this; he liked singing so he pursued it even if all odds are stacked against him but now how in the world was he supposed to stay positive? There wasn't a single way out that wouldn't lead to a horrible end. Maybe he should just accept it.

"I, for one believe in miracles so don't count yourself out yet." Jong Dae whipped his head around and glanced at Min Seok who was still typing furiously on his laptop, seemingly like he never talked at all since he wasn't even looking at Jong Dae. Did Jong Dae imagine it or did he actually stated his inner monologue outloud that Min Seok decided to reply? Before Jong Dae could open his mouth to confirm, Min Seok continued, "Maybe the miracle you need will come to you today? It is your birthday after all?" 

Jong Dae couldn't help the scoff that escaped his mouth. Miracle? The Jong Dae that used to believe in that was long gone, he's seen too much, lost too much, experienced too much to even begin counting on miracles. "Well send them my way if you have some to spare."

"Miracles or the believe in them?"

"Both."

"Sure," Min Seok was finally looking at Jong Dae with a grin. "How about right now?"

"What?"

Min Seok was outright brooding and frankly his sudden change of behavior was scaring Jong Dae very much. "The doorbell will probably ring in a while, would you go get it?"

"How do you know it will ring?" Jong Dae asked dumbly before another thought popped into his head. "Wait, this is your dorm so if the door does ring you should get it." Min Seok laughed and shook his head. "Hyung, you're acting really weird." The doorbell rang before Min Seok could refute but he seemed pleased either way. Jong Dae's mouth dropped open and Min Seok reached over to close his mouth for him teasingly and looked him in the eyes.

"Go get it, Jong Dae."

"Hyung?" Jong Dae had so many things to ask but he didn't know where to begin. Min Seok pushed him towards the door of his room and gestured for Jong Dae to get out. "I don't understand." Jong Dae added after he realized there was no use fighting Min Seok and turned the doorknob to leave the room.

Min Seok waited till Jong Dae closed the door behind him before looking at the screen of his laptop which was displaying not the tab with the SM database but instead showed an email sent out an hour ago with all the right attachments. He knew that Jong Dae will probably get mad at him but it's a risk he's more than willing to take. He closed the email tab and goes back to the hacking program that was still breaking down SM's firewalls.

And now he waited.

~~~

The first time Jong Dae almost fainted was at the carousel of the first themepark he went to. He felt dizzy and unwell since everything around him was spinning too fast and the noises were loud, painful as they blend together to reach Jong Dae's ears like television static when the satelite wasn't working. He remembered convincing his parents he was a big boy and did not need them to accompany him, not even Jong Deok because he was determined he can survive the ride by himself. He stumbled around after the ride, feeling woozy and disoriented. He hated the feeling so he never gave himself a reason to feel that way again hence no more themepark rides and even alcohol. What he did not expect was looking into a pair of eyes could also bring back this feeling.

"You're an , Kim Jong Dae." Jong Dae stared with his mouth open and wondered how Baek Hyun keeps worming his way into Jong Dae's life. "Are you going to let me in or what?" Baek Hyun clicked his tongue and glared at Jong Dae as he slowly move to let him in. "." Baek Hyun couldn't resist adding while walking in.

"Baek, why are you here?" Jong Dae mumbled dumbly as he followed Baek Hyun into the dorm's living room.

"I can't believe you kept something as big as BLACKMAILING from me. I'm your best friend."  Baek Hyun glared harder while Jong Dae just raised his eyebrow at him. "Don't give me that look, I am your best friend even if I am self-appointed."

"How do you even know about this?" Jong Dae prodded him again.

"To think I thought you have changed and thought you were heartless and realized you were better than me so you are cutting ties with me. To think that what the rumours said about you could be true. To think that...hey, are you listening to me?" Baek Hyun hit him on his arm and Jong Dae's eyes focused back on him. "You should have told me, Dae."

"Seriously, how did you know? You're not supposed to know." Jong Dae stated again. If the blackmailer found out that Baek Hyun knew, he might hurt him again.

"Well Min Seok hyung told me so I..." Baek Hyun couldn't finish his sentence when there was a loud sound of something crashing to the floor in one of the rooms and both their heads turned to the direction of it. "What was that?"

"Jong Dae, get in here!" Min Seok yelled before Jong Dae could even begin to respond to Baek Hyun.

"Okay!" Jong Dae shrugged and made a move to Min Seok's room with Baek Hyun in tow but the doorbell rang again. Jong Dae eyes darted at the front door but he didn't know if he should answer.

"Don't open the door!" Min Seok yelled again and Jong Dae stayed standing at the corridor in between the front door and the dorm rooms. The doorbell doesn't stop ringing and whoever behind it started knocking as well. Baek Hyun looked at Jong Dae with increasing fear in his eyes and Jong Dae's heart was beating non-stop too. It is not normal for common visitors to be making so much noise and even shouting for the door to be opened.

"Hyunggggg!" Baek Hyun tried as the knocking just got louder.

"I'm coming, don't open the door yet!" Min Seok yelled from his room and he could hear a few more things fall to the floor with a thud. After a bit more shuffling, Min Seok comes running out, pats both of them on the head lightly before opening the door. Jong Dae peeked from behind Min Seok and saw four people in pink shirts. SM staffs. "Yes, how can I help you?"

"We are here to see," One of the SM staff paused halfway speaking and referred to the file he was holding before continuing, "Kim Jong Dae and Kim Min Seok. Are they around?"

"I'm Kim Min Seok," Min Seok pointed at himself then gestured at Jong Dae, "and that's Kim Jong Dae. Is there a problem?"

"Yes, there is. We are asked to bring you in to a meeting with the higher ups, please follow us." Another staff spoke this time and it was a young lady with a polite but strict voice. Jong Dae looked to Min Seok because he didn't know why there were here and what they should do. Did they found out about them hacking into the SM database? Already? Did Min Seok even manage to find anything? Will they be brought to the police? 

"Just a moment." Min Seok said calmly cutting Jong Dae's train of thoughts before walking towards Jong Dae and Baek Hyun. "Baek Hyun, do you understand Japanese?" Jong Dae was startled as the Japanese words came out of Min Seok's mouth and he was more surprised he could catch it.

"Yes." Baek Hyun replied back in Japanese. 

"We need to go." The SM lady staff pressed again. 

Min Seok ignored her and spoke in Japanese again but this time Jong Dae couldn't understand much from the sentence except a few words, 'wait' 'don't talk' 'come back'. Baek Hyun nodded and Jong Dae didn't even know Baek Hyun understood Japanese.

"I said," The lady started but was cut off promptly when Min Seok bowed at her instead and grinned.

"Let's go, Jong Dae." Min Seok said merrily and pulled Jong Dae by the arm to walk towards the door. "Do you understand Japanese?" Min Seok repeated softly again to Jong Dae but this time in Korean.<