[double update, go back one chapter if you haven't read it already~]

“Jongin ah.” Chanyeol whispered. 

This, this situation that stood before him now, was exactly what he had feared the most.

Ever since the moment he first saw Kyungsoo in his office.

Jongin, standing there, on the doorstep to his office, and locking his eyes with no one else, but Do Kyungsoo.

To make the matters worse, Jongin was looking unwell not only because of the sudden reappearance of his long lost lover, he also looked severely exhausted and ill as it was. There were obvious dark bags under his eyes, speaking tons about the lack of sleep he was going through these days, and the hard time he was having right now. Adding to that, even his skin itself looked really ill, colorless and dry. 

But the worst thing about Jongin's appeareance was the amount of weight he had lost, in these few days. It was such a short term since Chanyeol had last seen him, and yet the loss was so scarily evident. It looked like Jongin had starved himself for weeks, from the way his clothes hung on him like loose rags, and his cheekbones seemed to tear right through the thin, tender skin of his cheeks just at any minute now. It was terrible. But knowing Jongin, Chanyeol could have expected him to starve himself as a response to such deep stress. He had done it before, and that made Chanyeol feel even worse.

I shouldn’t have left him alone, he realized, heart constricting painfully inside his chest. With that realisation, guilt didn't last long to follow that pain, and take over him.

When he heard about Jongin's idea to take a few days off, he thought it was a good decision, as good as it could be in that kind of a situation. There weren't exactly that many options of how Jongin could have dealt with himself and what had happened that night, then. And Chanyeol figured that what Jongin considered necessary now was just some time, some time alone with himself, and a bit of rest. To organize the thoughts and let himself breathe a little.

But now, Chanyeol saw the whole situation differently. He was so wrong. What Jongin really needed then was not to be alone and think- he needed to have someone, who would be there with him and not let him think. He needed someone to take care of him, and take his mind off of Kyungsoo, distract him from overthinking things, and make sure, that what had happened now with his health, didn't happen.

That was what Jongin needed.

But instead, he was left alone. Chanyeol, his best friend, had left him alone.

“Kyung--“ Jongin breathed out, a tear escaping his swollen eyes. “K-Kyungsoo.”

He leaned on the wall beside him heavily, unable to keep his balance anymore. But even if his body was turned uncomfortably, and he could hardly keep standing even while leaning on the wall for support, Jongin's eyes were still glued onto Kyungsoo as if his whole life depended on that. Just seeing him. Jongin didn’t even blink, as he stared at the smaller male. He seemed to be afraid, that if he keeps his eyes away from the other for too long, Kyungsoo will disappear again. 

Watching him do that, after having just heard Kyungsoo say he doesn't want Jongin in his life anymore, broke Chanyeol's heart to unimaginable extents. It filled his chest with fear, sorrow and wish, that this day never came; the day, when Jongin will have his heart shattered to pieces once again, and again, by the same person. And Chanyeol will only be able to just watch.

He won't be able to help. He knew it.

With his owl eyes unreadable, Kyungsoo took a step closer to his ex lover, another one, and  Chanyeol held his breath back, watching him carefully. He caught himself fearing, fearing so badly of what was going to happen.

He didn't want Jongin to know, that Kyungsoo didn't love him anymore. Even if for a minute more, even for a second more. 

Just for a second more, Chanyeol wished Kyungsoo would let Jongin believe he loved him.

“See you tomorrow, Chanyeol,” Kyungsoo suddenly said, startling him and Baekhyun at the same time. Since Chanyeol was still holding onto the smaller male's hand, he could feel him flinch in startle of Kyungsoo's loud goodbye. Chanyeol turned his head, and threw a worried look at Baekhyun, who seemed to be in the same boat as him as far as the feelings he had right now were concerned. His eyes were filled with the same sorrowful wish and fear Chanyeol had.

Without another word added, Kyungsoo strode straight towards the door in a fast pace. Wide-eyed Jongin watched him walk towards him with worry, not knowing what to expect or what to do, when the smaller male comes near him.

Does he hug him? Can he?

Or does he say he missed him? 

Or does he ask him to explain?..

Kyungsoo got closer, and a second later, they were right in front of each other. Eyes locked. Jongin shifted from the wall so that he could open his arms, and pull the smaller into his embrace. Who cared about explanations now? Kyungsoo was here, and Jongin could finally--

But the smaller turned just at his side, and passed him by. As if Jongin, looking at him with big chocolate coloured eyes, wasn't even there.

Shocked by that, Jongin felt his heart drop to his stomach.

What?.

His eyes followed the retreating back of Kyungsoo, full of utter disbelief and shock. 

What did Jongin do wrong?..

He breathed in, shaking off the thought. No, Kyungsoo’s can't just leave again. He, Jongin, won't be able to survive that. He has to go after him no matter what. Now.

Suddenly feeling a rush of emotions running through his veins, Jongin got a new strength in his muscles. He forced his tired legs to move, and turned around to run after him, to run after Kyungsoo.

Nevermind why Kyungsoo is mad. Jongin will change his mind - he'll force him to change his mind if needed.

He caught up to the smaller male in the middle of the hallway, and grasped his tiny wrist in his hand, stopping him, the person he had waited for so long, to a halt. As soon as he touched him, and felt the coldness of Kyungsoo's skin against his, Jongin felt relieved. He made it. He made it to stop him.

He wasn't going to let Kyungsoo go this time. Not ever again.

“Kyungsoo.” He breathed out. "Wait."

***

Chanyeol watched the scene before him. As soon as Jongin rushed out of the room, following Kyungsoo, his body instantly jerked forward as well, wanting to follow.

But before he could run after them, Baekhyun held him back by the hem of his jacket.

"Baekhyun, what--"

"Don't." the smaller asked, looking at him with his worried brown eyes. "Don't go after them, Chanyeol ah."

Chanyeol turned his head at him, startled.

"Let them go alone, Chanyeol." Baekhyun explained, looking up to him, and fighting off the blush that was forcing its way onto his cheeks because of the damn closeness in between them. When Chanyeol turned, the distance between them became slightly too little for Baekhyun to be comfortable, and that made him a bit nervous.

Okay, very nervous. But that was not what mattered now.

"Let them have that talk. They have waited long enough for it, Chanyeol." he added, and took a small step backwards.

Now he could concentrate again. And breathe. Well done, thought Baekhyun.

But what the smaller had said was definetely not what Chanyeol expected to hear. He seemed... frustrated.

"Baekhyun, let me go. You don't understand." he took another step forward, but Baekhyun beat him to it, and stepped in front of him to block his way out. The smaller male stood up there, looking up at him with those beautiful eyes, looking sorrowful to do this, but at the same time very determined. As if he knew that doing this was something he just has to do.

But Chanyeol didn't get him, and neither he understood his actions. Chanyeol furrowed his eyebrows even deeper in frustration. He was rushing to help his friend, and Baekhyun surely knew that. He saw Jongin that night. He knew what he was like, when it came to Kyungsoo. And now, the same Kyungsoo is once again in front of Jongin, and that's why Chanyeol needs to go, he needs to make sure Jongin is safe, that he's okay, but why...

Why is his friend still standing in front of him, and blocking his way out?..

"Please, Baekhyun, move out of my way. I have to go."

But Baekhyun still didn't move.

"Chanyeol ah." he sighed. "You don't have to go. Don't go. It won't do anyone any good, I tell you."

"Baekhyun, you know Jongin has panic attacks," Chanyeol argued, widening his eyes. "He cannot be dealing with Kyungsoo right now. Jongin needs to rest, he needs to be taken care of, and I have to--"

"Just believe in him a bit, Chanyeol." Baekhyun asked silently. He was holding his small hands in front of him, one covering another, and looked somehow pitiful. Scared, worried, and as if doing something he didn't really want to do but had to, nonetheless. If Chanyeol wasn't that shaken and worried about Jongin, he would've felt guilty, for making Baekhyun feel and act this way. He almost did.

"Team leader is stronger than that, he's much stronger than you think he is." Baekhyun continued, looking at the floor instead of Chanyeol's eyes. "In order to get past this, he needs that conversation to happen. And your intervention, getting in between him and Kyungsoo now, fussing over his health, won't help team leader get over all of this any faster, nor any easier. You're just going to get yelled at for mingling, and your feelings will just get hurt."

"That doesn't matter--"

"And I don't want to let that happen."