Chapter 74

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Author POV

“Are you sure Sungyeol ah? Will you be okay? Don’t you want to stay?”

Yunho smile when Changmin gently put his hand on Sungyeol’s head while asking that boy non-stop question. After both of them left the Woollim’s studio, Yunho asked all INFINITE’s members to practice a dance for TVXQ’s dance cover to change the awkward and gloomy air inside the studio.

Later, Yunho instructed Sungyu to bring s home when Changmin and Sungyeol didn’t come back to the studio when it was already late. But the leader or TVXQ can’t hide his smile since Changmin brought Sungyeol to their shared apartment. It is because Changmin attitude was drastically changed and there is no more sarcastic maknae. This is the first time ever he saw Changmin looks so gentle and act brotherly to other juniors.

“Changmin is right……stay for tonight Sungyeol ah~~~”

Sungyeol smile faintly and shake his head.

“Thank you hyung~~~but I just make my best friend sulked…….so I need to go home”

Yunho smile and pat Sungyeol head.

“They will understand…..but don’t snap like tonight again……and be careful with the cut and don’t forget to change a new patch tomorrow, okay?”

“Haishhh~~~~hyung…….Sungyeol is not a kid~~~~trust him a bit~~~”

“I don’t even trust you…..how can I trust him?”

“Whatever~~~~”

Sungyeol just chuckle at the bickering senior in front of him. He knows they tried to cheer him up and he feel thankful for that. But he needs to go home. Sungyeol worried about Myungsoo and Sungjong. He still remembers Sungyu’s insecure and hurt eyes when he was dragged away by Changmin.

It’s is time for him to talk to s and he was ready. Sungyeol already accepted that he would likely leave the group sooner or later. So, he needs to make his group feel better and less worry about him.

“I will…..don’t worry, see you guys tomorrow~~~”

“Okay…...be careful, text us when you arrived, okay?”

Changmin lightly pat Sungyeol’s head again. He worried about that boy and decided to tell everything about Sungyeol and his plan to Yunho after Sungyeol goes home. He can’t do this alone when he heard that Sungyeol might suffer from kidney failure. It’s not a small matter and he needs Yunho’s guidance and strength to move forward with the plan.

“Okay Changmin sunbae-nim, Yunho hyung~~~~~see you guys tomorrow~~~”

“Call me hyung…….”

“Huh?”

Sungyeol stop wearing his jacket halfway and frown at Changmin’s sudden request.

Yunho just smile and help zipping Sungyeol’s jacket until his chest.

“Just call him hyung or he will bug you more~~~”

“No I’m not~~~~”

Sungyeol smile sheepishly and nod.

“Okay……Changmin sunbae-nim~~~”

Yunho bite his lower lip to prevent him from laughing out loud when Changmin pout. After Sungyeol bid them farewell and close the door, Yunho burst out laughing. It’s so weird and funny to see Changmin act sulky when Sungyeol didn’t called him ‘hyung’.

“Stop it hyung~~~Now I got something…….”

“Bhahahahaha~~~~~~”

“Yah!!!!! Stop it would you!!!!!”

Yunho tones down his laughter when Changmin sit on the couch with ‘worry’ written all over his face. Normally Changmin will chase Yunho around if that guy and Yunho always get an instant punishment. But seeing Changmin in foul mood makes the leader concern, because just now he looks okay with Sungyeol around.

“What’s wrong?”

Yunho approached his maknae and sit beside Changmin. That guy just sighs softly and turns his body toward his leader. He decided that Yunho must know everything. There is no way he can handle this alone. The leader of TVXQ must know about Sungyeol and the plan that he had.

“Hyung…….”

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(INFINITE’s dorm)

All members lost in their own world. Nobody really talk, not even Sungyu. Hoya and Sungjong went to bed early without a word. Woohyun lying around in his room, pretending to sleep and Dongwoo didn’t even take his dinner and goes to sleep. Myungsoo seal his voice and fall asleep with Sungyeol’s cracked phone in his hand.

Only sungyu sit in the living room alone. Looking at their old pictures when they did the variety show and some pictures taken by their fans and they uploaded in their official page. Sungyu smile looking at some candid pictures that their fans took. Mostly a couple pictures that their fans created a ‘ship’ among the member.

They have been together for a long time and there is a lot of things they been through together. He also realized that how much they grow up in the pictures. Especially Sungyeol, Myungsoo and Sungjong, the maknae-line in their group.

In those pictures, he notices how Sungyeol had put up a lot to take care of Myungsoo and Sungjong. Every time Myungsoo look distances from the group, Sungyeol will come up with all sort of crazy ideas to make the visual of their group either laughed of scolded him. And every time the Sungjong looks tired and homesick, Sungyeol is the one who will make the maknae instantly forgot about it and earned the nickname from their fans as ‘Choding’ with his cheerfulness and craziness.

All the memories suddenly make Sungyu feel sad. Especially looking at Sungyeol’s smiling face in the picture. How he miss that smile and the craziness of the ‘Choding’ that always cheer them up.

“What are you doing, hyung?”

Sungyu was startle by the sudden voice that he almost dislocates his neck when he snaps his head quickly. The leader of INFINITE suddenly turn stiff when he saw Sungyeol slowly take off his socks while looking at the leader’s awkward face.

Sungyeol smile sweetly at the stiffen leader. He was ready to face with the reality. There is no more emotional and crazy ‘Choding’. Sungyeol just want s to less worry and awkward around him. He slowly walks and sits beside Sungyu.

“Owh hyung~~~~you still keep this picture??? So nostalgic~~~ I think this is when me and Myungsoo pranked our crybaby maknae, isn’t it?”

Sungyeol lean his body toward Sungyu and put his head on Sungyu’s shoulder while giggling at the picture of crying Sungjong. That picture was taken by Hoya when Sungyeol plan to prank the youngest by saying Myungsoo was badly hurt in an accident when he was in Japan for drama ‘JIU’. Myungsoo even make an international video call showed he was in the hospital with blood on his face to convince the innocent maknae.

“This is when our maknae still the pure and innocent boy, right hyung? I still remember you knocked my head with Dongwoo hyung spiky sneaker because I made Jongie cried~~~~~ it’s hurt so much that I cut your favorite leather belt for revenge~~~~hahahaha~~~”

“You did what???

“You……..you didn’t……..you didn’t know???”

Sungyeol quickly stand up to run from the furious ‘Tibet fox’ but Sungyu’s hand is faster. The leader pulls Sungyeol back on his . He giving Sungyeol a headlock and bite that poor boy ear slightly.

“Ooucchhh~~~Hyung~~~~that’s hurt~~~let me go~~~”

“So it was you~~~~I thought it was Dongwoo~~~”

Sungyu huff and ruffle his hair. He almost turned the dorm upside down when the leather belt that given by fans was cut off into two parts the next day after the prank. He thought it was Dongwoo when he questions s and Dongwoo admitted it because he doesn’t want the issue become big.

“Tsk~~~tsk~~hyung you punished the wrong person~~~~why do you think I followed Dongwoo hyung word more than Woohyun hyung?~~~”

“Shut up~~~~~”

Sungyu slowly smile when he no longer feels the awkwardness when Sungyeol fooling around and smile like he used to be. But he suddenly remember what happen in the studio so Sungyu quickly grab Sungyeol’s hand and carefully look at the bandage the nicely wrap on his hand.

“What about your hand??? Is it bad? Is it hurt?”

Sungyeol smile and slowly pull his hand from Sungyu.

“Just a scratch…….nothing serious~~~Yunho hyung is such a drama queen sometime~~~just like Kris hyung~~~”

Sungyu just smile and pat Sungyeol’s head. Nowaday there is a lot of people around him patted his head. It makes Sungyeol wonder does he look like a lost puppy for everyone to do that.

“Are you okay? Just now in the studio……..will you……will you be okay about this?”

Sungyu can’t afford himself to say anything about the Sungyeol’s contract termination so he carefully asked the question to that boy.

“Well……what will happen, will happen~~~~that’s reality……maybe that’s my real path……”

Sungyeol clear his throat and turn his head from Sungyu when he tries to cover the tear that start to form. He thought he was ready, but clearly his heart was not. And Sungyu notice Sungyeol’s shaky voice. He holds that boy hand and sighs softly.

“So……so don’t worry……..I know everything and understand everything……I’m was lucky enough when I was chosen to be with you guy and I was grateful for that……..just…..just with the time I have with…….with you guys……..please, let…….let me enjoy every last moment~~~~O…….okay, hyung?”

Sungyeol choked in his own tears and quickly stand up and clear his throat to ease away the tear. He doesn’t want to cry in front of Sungyu because that will make Sungyu feel bad and blame himself. Sungyeol slowly punch his chest and clench his fist when he felt Sungyu standing behind him.

But Sungyeol’s tear suddenly flow non-stop when he feels Sungyu’s hands slither around his waist and the leader’s hide his face on his shoulder. He bites his inner cheecks to avoid any sound come out from his mouth when he feels his shoulder wet with Sungyu’s tears.

“I’m…..I’m sorry……..I failed you Sungyeol ah~~~but remember this…….always remember…….that…….that you’ll always be my dongsaeng…..my brother that I cherish the most~~~~~you are still part of INFINITE……no~~~no matter where you are…..no matter what peoples say…….you are ours…..then……now and………forever…….”

“I……I know…….I know, hyung……”

Sungyu tighten his hand around Sungyeol when he heard that.

Without them knowing, someone watch the heartbreaking moment between the leader and Sungyeol from the small opening of the door. He covers his mouth with his palm to avoid any sobbing sound come out. He thought he was prepared for any possibility of Sungyeol leaving the group. But he doesn’t know why it hurt so much after hearing the conversation between those two. It looks like Sungyeol already willing to leave although he was reluctant a bit.

“I’m sorry…….I’m sorry……….I’m sorry~~~~~~”

Woohyun then slowly slide down to the floor and cry helplessly.

A/N: Yeah~~~ Another update for you guys~~~

Sungyeol already give up protecting his position in INFINITE…..

All he wants right now is to protect and willing to be the shield….

But will INFINITE just let him be?

Will Sungyeol regret his decision?

Will TVXQ do something to help INFINITE?

Wait for my next update~~~~