“Yah. What’s up with these people?” Daehyun asked, swiping through their SNS, reading the same question, sliding his finger past the exact same question that everyone was asking; why Jongup had lost his smile. “Shouldn’t they understand that Tadah BAP was kind of scripted? They turned me into a quiet ninja!” He exclaimed, giving a pat to Jongups thigh.
“Believe that!” He rolled his eyes, and Jongup spared him a glance; but not a smile.

Daehyun didn’t want to give in, but it was obvious. They were no longer the play-balls they were when they had first met. Maybe he should consider it as a part of growing up, but he’s not sure if that’s how it works. Hours of vocal training and then dieting, and adding dance practice to top it all; was no way to grow up.
Daehyun couldn’t help the quiet sigh that past his lips.
They’re missing a big part of growing up.
All of them.

-

Himchan couldn’t really believe it was all happening in the end. Yongguk came back to their dorm with his hood over his head, and the rest of the boys were waiting by the couch, expecting his return. Yongguk dumped his bag on his shoulder alongside his hat, sunglasses and his coat on to an arm of their couch. A long sigh was placed on top of the pile, and no one asked him anything until he got himself seated.

“Should I get you something to drink?” Himchan asked, but Yongguk waved his hand, signing a no.

“How did it go?” Junhong finally asked, his fingers clawing Jongups forearm again. Not just Jongup, but everyone else too had noticed that Junhong had made it a habit to claw onto the hand of whomever was to his side when he was uncertain of what he was doing. Jongup let it past him each time. Youngjae always held him back, and Daehyun did the same. Yongguk always run a hand over his shoulder, and Himchan did the same.

Yongguk sighed. “The contract had been re-read by your family lawyer as we had planned.” He said, and pulled out the documents from the file he carried in his bag. Several lines were underlined, some phrases were circled, and he took every member through the contact from the top, pointing out the lines that literally stood against them.

To have the investment subtracted from their income, to divide the remainder into percentages that was past fifty; and the percentage of the gross profit that they will be paid. Yongguk pulled out his tablet and followed the documents he had managed to get past their management through Manager Kang, and did his calculations on paper.

Although Yongguk and Himchan managed to stop themselves at long, disappointed sighs at the discovery of a debt to be paid than a salary, Junhongs eyes brimmed with tears, and it did not go un-noticed. Jongup was at loss of what’s to be said, and so was Daehyun. None of them could believe their eyes.
How come it had come to this?

“In case we file a lawsuit now, they’ll sue us with a debt.” Yongguk repeated the words he heard from Junhongs lawyer. Himchan rubbed his forehead, unable to say anything.

“The .” Daehyun cursed, clasping his lips shut. He rolled his eyes to get the pricking feeling away, and Youngjae tried to settle it with a half-hearted hug.

“What are we going to do?” Jongup asked; and neither of them knew.
It had come to a point that it was obvious that they had to quit, and that was the only choice out – but why did it feel so heavy to take their only option out?

Yongguk stood up, and squat down in front of Junhong who was wiping his cheeks, and ruffled his blonde hair.
“We’ll get through this, okay?” He promised, and through his silent tears, Junhong nodded.
It took him a while, knowing that it was a lot to ask, but everyone was silent as death; and they all heard him.

“All of us, right?”

Yongguk wasn’t sure if those words helped him through; or had just pushed his shoulders further downwards; but it brought a smile to his lips – and so it had to everyone else’s as well. They all followed Yongguk and sat down to Junhongs front, and ran their hands on each other’s shoulders in the faintest group hug.  A smile hung on everyone’s lips though it hurt just as much.

“All of us.” Everyone assured Junhong.