The function ended finally and the MBLAQ trio couldn't be more grateful that it ended without much happening and GO seemed to still get a hold on himself. 

Nodding to each other, Seungho took a hold on GO's arms and guided the singer out of the hall with Mir following close behind. They wanted to get out as fast as they could but, their steps and moves were slow. They couldn't be too obvious but they still want to just get the heck out of here and back to their home. They didn't even greet goodbye to neither Joon nor Sanghyun.

"Mir!" Mir stopped his steps when a pair of arms enveloped him from behind. He knew immediately who was the owner of those arms.

"Hey, Minho." He greeted back and threw a worried glance on Seungho and GO. GO seemed like he was about to break down in just matter of time. Seungho saw the look in Mir's eyes and gave a nod and reassuring smile, signing the maknae that he could handle this alone. 

"Key said you are here but, oh god! I can't find you in the sea of people here! I miss you so much!" Minho squeezed Mir a bit more before he released his friend.

"I miss you too." Mir said and patted on Minho's arms. He turned to face his friend and his brows rose automatically. "Woah~ Is this really Minho my friend?" He said amused. Minho nodded as if knowing what was coming and he opened his hand, twirled around a bit with his confident smile. "Dude! You look great!" Mir praised while smacking the taller boy's back with a bit too much force.

Minho grimaced and rubbed his aching shoulder but didn't say anything. He would never say Mir was hurting him because then he would look weaker than Mir. Such a weird sense of ego. "I could say the same to you." He said, straightening his back.

Mir chuckled. He had been exercising these days, maybe he really need to control his strength.

"You didn't come to my birthday party. Key was so pissed that day saying he'll pull you white hair out once he see you. But, I guess he already forgot." Minho said with a shook of his head.

Mir grinned and scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "I have lots of things to handle." He answered vaguely. He really felt guilty for not being able to follow the rule of 91-line group which is to never fail to attend the birthday party of the members of the group. But, the situation didn't really give him time to do as the rule said.

Minho gave Mir a small smile as he put his hand on Mir's head affectionately. "You okay?"

Mir shrugged. "Of course. Why wouldn't I?" Mir gave out a nervous laugh. Lying never felt good to him.

"Minho hyung! Manager hyung said it's time to go home. Eoh? Mir hyung! Annyonhaseyo." Taemin came running and smiled sweetly at Mir.

Being the older one, Mir acted cool and just smile with a small hand wave to the younger. 

"Aisy! I still want to chat." Minho sighed. "Let's meet again sometimes." He said.

"Sure." Mir easily agreed and waved some more as the two jogged away from him. "Sure..." He whispered to himself as his smile faltered. He said that but he didn't think he would be able to fulfill his words.

Too much was going on and... It seemed like he was slowly being suffocated. It was like he was sinking in the depth of the sea. Couldn't breath, yet when he looked around him, other people were breathing easily. Only he who couldn't breathe... Because the sea he was drowning into wasn't any normal sea. It was sea made up of pool of sorrow, agony, defeat, despair and... Darkness. It was dark. And he was alone...

○○○○○

Mir sighed. How long had he been standing here, staring into the space after Minho and Taemin left? He was too deep in thought. Too distracted with his storm of emotion. Turning back to the door, he froze. Joon was standing at the doorway while talking to a reporter. He heard every single words exchanged between Joon and the reporter.

"So, the new film you will be starring in got a lot of coverage already. Does it meet your expectation?"

Joon let out a deep chuckle. "It is but the credit is not on me." Joon dismissed humbly.

The reporter join the laugh while saying, "Of course it's on you." The reporter gave an awkward smile before he proceeded to the next question. "This might be a bit of sensitive issue. But, what about your former group, MBLAQ. They had release new album. Have you meet them or hear about the album?"

"We are all too busy." Joon simply answered, sending a sharp glance at Mir. He knew all along Mir was listening. 

"It's have been quite a hot issue on netizen these days. There are rumor about you guys' relationship isn't really pretty right now. I even heard only Sanghyun will come during the premiere. Any comment on that?"

"No comment. Maybe netizen is right. Maybe they are not." Joon said and left after asking permission, sending last glance over Mir.

"Cheolyong." Mir felt a hand on his shoulder.

"What do you want?" Mir asked dryly as he released a heavy breath. With that kind of answer from Joon, Mir wasn't even a bit surprised on how bad the remaining MBLAQ members were being bashed from all direction especially from Joon's fan. That's his true heart. Joon's true hard. And he couldn't help but to think of it as ugly.

"Cheolyong. He didn't mean it." 

Mir turned to look at Sanghyun straight in the eyes. "Who are you trying to lie to, Sanghyun-shi?" He shot back weakly. He didn't have any remaining energy to even show his anger. "If it is yourself you're trying to lie to, then goodluck on that. But if it is me, then just stop. I knew how Lee Joon-shi is. Like Byunghee hyung said... There are no friendship ever exist between us to start with. It was all just my stupid hallucination. We were never friend." That was the truth. And the words from Joon just now gave much more confirmation to him. He and his two hyungs did feel disappointed with the former two members. The conflict between them was undeniable but they would never did as what Joon just did. They would never put any of the former members in bad light in an obvious or even in a subtle manner. They never did. Only people took them wrongly. And it just worsened the wound. Like putting salt on the wound. The world they live in is... cruel.

"But, Cheol-"

"Just stop it. Stop coming back into our life. Like Joon-shi, you have made your choice. We... Are strangers." With that, Mir left. Left Sanghyun behind and made his way back to the ones who really cherished him as much as he did. To the ones worth every single thing in this world for him. To the ones he promised to protect. To the ones who would never betray him. To Seungho and GO. But why? Why did as he stepped further away, he had even harder time to breath? Why did he feel so suffocated?