Chapter Five:

Luckily Jung Hyuk hadn’t demanded Hyesung to say anything. It was surprising, and too soon, but Hyesung didn’t tell him to forget his feelings. He didn’t believe in love at first sight, not at all, but it was okay if someone else did. And there was nothing wrong with Jung Hyuk. Only minus was the fact that he looked like Eric; from head to toe.

“Hyesung-sshi, have you eaten?” Jung Hyuk questioned politely.

“Ah, I am full. The last piece of this steak doesn’t fit anymore.” The main vocalist responded. “You can have it if you want?”

Jung Hyuk laughed, snapped his fingers and soon there was a waitress next to them, smiling widely at the two. Her eyes visited at the obvious celebrity Shin Hyesung, as they did at the lookalike of Eric. She piled the plates together and folded the leftover food to a folio. Hyesung sipped the wine and stared at Jung Hyuk who was smirking.

“Have a nice evening Eric…Hyesung.” The waitress said and walked off.

Jung Hyuk startled and Hyesung blushed. His fingers suddenly trembled on the leg of the glass. He was too intimidated and embarrassed to look into the other man’s face. Jung Hyuk chuckled amused and rose up from the chair, scurried over to Hyesung to pull his under him when he stood up.

“I had fun.” Hyesung smiled. “What are you planning to do with the steak?”

Jung Hyuk took the small box and shrugged. “I think my brother needs to eat. Being food poisoned is not nutritious enough.” He told (lied).

Hyesung nodded. “Can you please inform me if Eric gets any better?” he asked.

“Why are you so intrigued to know?” Jung Hyuk spoke quizzically.

“He is my friend; the leader of Shinhwa. Of course I am worried.” The younger guy answered. “I just…want everyone to be fine after I hurt myself in our comeback concert.”

Jung Hyuk gestured the singer to walk towards the door. When they were outside, he turned towards him and flashed a gorgeous, player-like smile. Hyesung laughed slightly. Then a silence descended between them. Hyesung felt uncomfortable but was glad that Jung Hyuk broke it.

“I had an extremely splendid time.” He said. “And what I said before,” he continued, causing Hyesung to turn anxious. “…I meant it. I have grown very fond of you. Maybe someday, it will develop to love and at least then, I hope that you like me.”

Hyesung leered at him.

“It is not every day that you meet your true love.” Jung Hyuk murmured. “But it would not be the last.”

“Jung Hyuk-sshi, I—“

“Do not say a word, Hyesung-sshi,” The older man mumbled. “I know it is early. But I want you to know that I will wait for you. You are too precious to be alone.”

Hyesung felt his heart beating out of his chest.

“I can drive you home.” Jung Hyuk suggested. “It is not a task at all.”

“I…I would love that.” The little prince replied and took the offered hand into his once again. “Thank you.”

                ***

Eric opened his eyes slightly. His room was dark. He tossed his head around and sensed that his body was slowly getting back to its normal form. He was less paralysed now than he was a before and his fingers worked much better than yesterday. Eric inhaled. His stomach didn’t feel like exploding anymore, but he was hungry. It was intelligible since he hadn’t touched food at all.

His phone was flickering.

“Hello?” He replied hoarsely after lack of beverage. “Dongwan?”

“Yah, Eric.”

“What is it? Why are you calling? Where am I?” Eric bombarded the younger man instantly, not allowing him to answer at all. “Is everything okay?”

Dongwan was quiet. “I really hope I could say yes, but…Eric…I screwed up. I couldn’t prevent them. Hyesung…he…”

Abruptly Eric got somewhere power to sit up, his phone almost dropping from the slack grasp. Dongwan voiced to the phone, upset. “Hey….tell me. What the hell has happened?!”

“They…went out Eric.” Dongwan corresponded. “And…I don’t think it was boring.”

Eric’s stomach growled terribly. He gasped, his knuckles turning white around the phone. He didn’t want to know what happened after the date. He didn’t want to see or know how happy Hyesung was. And he most certainly didn’t want to hear that he had failed. Dongwan sighed into the phone and scratched his chin, sighing again.

“And Hyesung yelled at Junjin. He didn’t want to come to the practice anymore.” He told. “Eric, what do we do now? We need you to be here.”

The leader sensed the blood boiling inside him, causing the fever to rise.

“Did…did…Pil Kyo…enjoy it?” He interrogated stammering. “Did he…Dongwan?”

Another devastated sigh was audible at the other side. “I don’t know Eric…I really don’t know.”

                ***

Hyesung was brushing his teeth when the bell next to his door rang. He was afraid that it was the man he had gone out with and therefore dawdled in his bathroom. Then he heard a thud against the door and frowned, rinsed his teeth and proceeded towards the door. He had never been so shocked to see Eric behind his door. The scowl on the forehead, the sweat that sank into it and the worried expression in the eyes were a stunner. Eric breathed in and out heavily and Hyesung could see that he was having a high fever.

“I am ing tired. I wanna sleep.” Eric said as a greeting.

“YAH!” Hyesung yelled. “Why didn’t you go to your place then!? It’s right next to mine!”

Eric’s eyes were scarily half-lidded. He wasn’t amused at all. Usually he would have at least crashed in already or if not that, he would have hugged the man without permission. But he was breathing; tiringly, heavily, as if he was about to die. Eric was barely standing straight. He was leaning against the wall, head bowed down, when Hyesung huffed.

“Come in.” He said. “I don’t think you should walk all the way back to your apartment.”

“I can’t walk…I am still paralysed.”

Hyesung turned around and let his eyes grow wide.

“I was carried…by the cab driver…with extra charge.” The leader muttered. “I still have some poison in me.”

“What!? What happened?”

Eric let his arm fall next to his body as his legs lost their balance and he collapsed onto his face in Hyesung’s foyer. The main vocalist gasped and hurried next to him, grabbing the arms.

“You wouldn’t believe me so…let it be.”

                ***

Everything was suddenly absolutely dark. His eyes were heavy and he felt like his face had been squeezed until the skull was in small pieces. His body was hardly functioning. He could see the apartment door slightly open. The culprit had escaped from it. Well, not a culprit since he had seen and felt and been totally aware of what had happened.

It was all just anger.

His eyes blinked slowly. Gosh, even that hurt.

He wanted to get up, but he wasn’t sure if they were on their rightful places. He tried to move his fingers. Thank god they were stirring a bit; clumsily but they moved, it was the most crucial thing at the moment. He wasn’t bleeding, but his head was pounding like it had been full of infuriated cavemen. He was like floating on feathers.

He chanted raspy and quiet words as if someone had now heard him. He hoped that someone would have been able to hear his pleas now. Anyone could have helped him now. Anyone could have been there to listen what had happened. His eyes were tardily shutting in.

“Someone…help…”

                ***

 Eric vomited again. His stomach was having horrendous cramps, and the drops of sweat were multiplying all over his body. He was crying out of pain while Hyesung looked at him concerned. Eric puked again. His usually neatly adjusted hair looked greasy and messy. The strands protruded here and there. The cheeks were glowing from tears.

“Eric ah,” Hyesung leaned down, his palm was glued onto the forehead. “Oh my goodness! You are having high fever!”

The leader jerked his whole body away screaming the pain away. He knew it was all because of the paralysing poison or whatever that had taken over his body, but he was still frightened that it was infectious. No one knew what his wicked brother had in mind. He could die on the night ahead of him, or on the next day, but he wouldn’t let Hyesung touch him until the last vomit had exited his body.

“Why cannot you let me touch you!?” Hyesung yelled.

“Because…grhm…mghmm…I don’t know what’s wrong with….argh…me.” Eric held his head between his hands. “And if I told you…ghrm…you wouldn’t believe me…I know it.”

Hyesung was troubled. He was being tortured by the leader who screamed from pain. It was inevitable that it hurt like . Obviously. Eric cried. He never cried. He was always just touched but he never cried. And Hyesung knew nothing was alright. Eric hit his back against the mattress and held his stomach. The cramps were indescribably brutal. Hyesung took the bottle of medicine and tried to give it to Eric, but the leader was having so much torture that he was moving around and was panicking that it didn’t stop. Hyesung growled, jumped onto the bed, straddled the older man, caught his jaw, opened his mouth and poured down the bottle of tranquilisers. Then he took the other bottle from the desk and added in some painkillers.

Eric relaxed and eventually his eyes went closed.

Hyesung sighed, held his hand on the jaw and listened the tranquil breathing.

Eric was finally sleeping.

And he looked peaceful.

“God Eric…” Hyesung prompted. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

                ***

“Morning,” Hyesung heard a murmur, his mouth scorning and face stirring. “Morning,” the voice said again, the fingertips touching the hair weakly. Hyesung opened his eyes and yawned, before he shifted his head around and saw feeble Eric smiling at him. “Ah, you woke up.”

Hyesung nodded.

“Did you sleep here the whole night?” Eric questioned, his eyes still half-lidded.

“You started hyperventilating while sleeping so I held your hand. But you didn’t let it go so I stayed here and then…I pretty much think I fell asleep.” The main vocalist spoke. “Well, do you feel better now?”

Eric was staring at Hyesung; as if he hadn’t heard anything he had just said. They were still holding hands, which surprised Eric since Hyesung usually jerked them off instantly, but it was like absorbing the poison out of his body. Hyesung blinked his eyes when Eric’s gaze lowered to the intertwined fingers.

“There aren’t any cameras here.” Hyesung whispered. “Isn’t that what you said?”

Eric nodded. “I did.”

                ***

Hyesung entered the practise room after Eric had been able to eat something and keep it in. He saw Junjin at the end of the room, in his own head, curling some bandage around his wrists and ankles. Hyesung’s hands were sweating as he cleared his throat and was about to proceed the guy. Then Junjin lifted his head and Hyesung gasped. Junjin flashed a gorgeous grin though he had a black spot on his cheek and eye. He waved his hand as if asking Hyesung to come closer. Hyesung began to smile when Eric walked past him and ran to the baby bird.

“Hyung!” Junjin exclaimed. “Are you okay!? I heard from Dongwan that…you got poisoned.”

Hyesung stood in the middle of the room, watching the two talking, and smiling, while his heart was slowly shattering into small pieces. He didn’t even deserve a glance from the baby bird. He was barely noticed.

“What the hell happened to your eye…and…and cheek?” Eric questioned jolted. “Who did thi—No. Don’t tell me…”

Junjin looked down. “It was all of a sudden…he saw me coming out of a bar…and then…he took me home…though I said no, I swear! And once I had taken off my shoes…he…” He explained while re-enacting the scene.

Hyesung wondered why the tone of s’ had abruptly gotten inaudible. They were mumbling and he couldn’t hear.

“Hyung,” Junjin whispered. “I…I had a row with Hyesung and…I seriously don’t want to have any business with him…but he is having a doctor’s appointment today…could you…like…wait him when he comes out? I was supposed to go…but…I am still sad and mad.”

Eric glimpsed at the little prince who cringed.

“Sure.” He said. “I can do that.”

                ***

“Get to the reception after Hyesung hyung has gone in. He doesn’t want to seem nervous and timid while someone is there waiting with him until he gets in. What I always did, is that, I followed him, waited in the nearby café, went to the reception and sat down, and when he comes out, he smiles and knows that I am going to be there always. Do that hyung…he would be disappointed if no one was there…please hyung…go with him. Maybe…you have a chance with him then…”

“Chance? Why do I need chances?!”

“Eh? I thought…I…? Well, you get more personal with him than Jung Hyuk.”

“Jin…he and Hyesung went out for a date.”

“Then you go out with him…that’s simple.”

Eric harrumphed when the flashback inside his head ended. He had been waiting for a while now. Junjin had said that it was usually only a check-up and took about an hour, but Eric had sat outside for about a half an hour overtime. He had bought ice coffee to the man and was now enjoying the fresh air (with the smell of the cigarette that stood between his lips), hearing the grumbles above him from the sky.

It was about to rain and he had no umbrella.

He could have gone in, but that would have meant that the cigarette would have had to be discarded though it wasn’t even burnt till the base yet. So Eric held the small bag in which he had a coffee cup and a muffin, holding the cigarette between his lips when it initiated to thunder and rain. Only thing Eric was protecting was the bag. It didn’t matter that the cigarette lit off as soon as a drop landed onto it, as long as the bag was dry.

Eric was like a drenched dog.

“Eric?”

The leader flinched.

“What are you doing in here?”

He turned around.

“I…I thought…ah, never mind.”

“I bought you…a coffee.” Eric passed the brown bag to the man, his hand trembling from the coldness. Hyesung blinked his eyes and stepped closer, moving the umbrella above the leader too. “Though now I started thinking that I should have bought hot one.” Eric commented embarrassed.

Hyesung chuckled and began to his hoodie. Eric glared at him and was drawn aback when Hyesung put it around him and tied the sleeves to a ribbon that held it on the man longer. Hyesung then flashed a smile and stepped out of the umbrella into the rain.

“Come here.” Eric stammered. “I don’t want you to…get c…cold.”

Hyesung shook his head.

“Please…I get cold just by looking at you.” The older man blurted out. “There is enough room for the two of us.”

“Fine. The doctor said I need to stay warm anyways.” The shorter lad crooned and entered the umbrella. Eric held it up and snuggled closer to the hoodie. They fell into silence for a minute.

“What else did the doctor say? Is your knee fine?” Eric asked, watching Hyesung. “Is everything okay with you?”

Hyesung nodded. “Everything is awesome. Don’t worry.” He grinned.

Eric felt his heartbeat rising so fast that it was difficult to explain. If they had been filming episode 11 in Shinhwa Broadcast, he would have had a lot to explain. The main vocalist was inaudibly sipping from his cardboard coffee cup. Meanwhile, Eric stared at him.

“You look beautiful.”

The coffee cup stayed under the lower lip as Hyesung opened his eyes. Oh, god! Eric had said it out loud. Things he was supposed to keep in now spilled out uncontrollably. Hyesung hoped it wasn’t visible but his cheeks were extremely red.

“I mean…handsome…you look handsome.” Eric fixed, but that wasn’t any better. He was just making a mess. “I mean…you know what I mean.”

“I am soaked in rain water, Eric ah. And I smell of a wet dog.” Hyesung answered. “I can’t be beautiful or handsome then.”

The leader knew he was about to put the cherry on top of the cake by messing things up even more. But he hardly cared as he smirked and bowed his head a bit.

“Just....to me you are perf—“

A car screeched in front of them and the door opened. Eric’s heart stopped beating as soon as Jung Hyuk stepped out and curled his arm around Hyesung, rubbing his hand against the bare upper arms. That wasn’t a sign of anything else but Jung Hyuk’s mischief, but the way Hyesung reacted hurt Eric.

“Did my brother behave well?” Older twin interrogated.

Hyesung nodded.

“I have always pondered that Eric is great at keeping company to people.” Jung Hyuk praised only to look good in front of the youngest man. “That is why he owns a company as magnificent as Shinhwa Company.”

Eric was clenching his fists.

“Hyesung-sshi,” Jung Hyuk opened the front door. “May I?” He raised his hand and asked Hyesung to grab it. The little prince did and stepped into the front seat. Eric gritted his teeth as soon as Hyesung wasn’t looking and raised his hand. “Oh, brother. You can sit at the passenger seat. That is the place for…losers.”

                ***

Eric felt his phone vibrating. He started fishing it out, sensing that the caller was impatient. A smile crept onto the scruffy face when the main vocalist’s name paraded on the screen, flickering back and forth.  With pleasure, Eric lifted the phone onto his ear and greeted.

“Since Junjin isn’t talking to me,” Eric scowled sadly and felt mournful towards the vocalist. “Would you like to go out with me and have jjajangmyeon?” Hyesung interrogated. “I want it.”

The leader’s palms were suddenly sweaty.

“I know it’s not sashimi, but…I need company from somewhere. Andy was on a meeting, Minwoo doesn’t answer to his phone and Dongwan just…said no.” Hyesung explained. “So that leaves you. Do you want to have it with me?”

“YES!!” Eric replied, feeling his cheeks getting red by the stupid and eager shout. “I mean, yes. I’d love that.”

“Awesome.” He could see Hyesung’s smile through the phone. “See you in a half an hour.”

                ***

Though they had drunk two bottles of soju, they felt rather well. Eric stared at Hyesung, who was telling something funny, as he burst into laughter and spilled out some of the drink. Hyesung laughed that famous and beautiful laugh of his, sipping his soju when Eric suddenly wiped his cheek. A silence landed upon them. Hyesung blushed and Eric cleared his throat, leaning back in to his chair.

“You had some sauce on your cheek.” He muttered.

Hyesung scorned with a nod and avoided looking at the man. He bowed his head and swirled the wooden chopsticks in the jjajangmyeon, not uttering a word. He was munching the long noodles in quiet, hoping that it felt less awkward if he didn’t make a fuss out of it. He lifted his head from the big shared bowl of jjajangmyeon and stopped chewing and moving. His eyes landed onto the older man’s mouth and the noodle that came all the way towards him and his mouth.

Eric ogled at Hyesung.

Hyesung gazed at Eric.

Then their glance landed onto the noodle that was couple centimetres long; and their teeth clasped against it and the remaining part of the noodle fell back to the bowl. And an awkward laugh blared around the outside restaurant. Hyesung took his glass of soju, gulped down till the last drop and poured another glass instantly. Eric cleared his throat and turned the meat on the grill.

The tranquillity was disconcerting.

“You want…stir fried pork?” Eric wanted to slam himself for sounding so unsmooth.

Hyesung leered at him and shook his head, wishing that they wouldn’t have to talk at all. But he knew Eric and the way he wanted to break the awkward silence that had descended between them. The younger guy saw from the corner of his eyes that the leader was about to open his mouth, so he grabbed the piece of lettuce, put the meat in, and folded the lettuce, stuffing the thing into Eric’s mouth right as he was about to talk.

“Pil—“

And Hyesung did it again.

“We need to ta—“

Eric could hardly swallow the already chewed pieces when Hyesung inhaled heavily and let it out in one fast puff. The taller man munched while the other one was fondling the green bottle of soju, and biting his lip.

“Eric,” Hyesung began.

The said man nodded since he couldn’t speak.

“Yesterday…I was with your brother again.” The leader didn’t know where this was going but he didn’t like the change in the atmosphere at the moment. His heartbeat rose without Hyesung even talking and he perceived that he was panicking. Hyesung glimpsed at him before his stare was back at the bottle. “And…something happened.”

“What?” Eric managed to ask.

“He kissed me.”

Eric’s eyes went wide from the shock and he dropped the chopsticks from the slack grasp.

“Eric,” Hyesung started, this time looking directly at him. “I....I think....I think I have fallen in love.”

아!! 혜성이, 너는 바보야!!!! 싫어!!! 정혁을 싫어!!! 바보 멍청이들아!!! 

A/N: *cries*

A Fill-up chapter. 

The fighting of Hyesung between the brothers. 

Not really....interesting....rather annoying.