{Chanyeol P.O.V.}

D.O. and Kira have been talking every day this past week and it has been a lesson in patience for me.

When I hear them talking about how their days have been, I get sick to my stomach because I want that to be me. When I hear her asking him if he’s eaten with so much caring in her voice, I feel hollow inside. When he wishes her good night and sweet dreams, a darkness settles over me. And every time I hear D.O. answer the phone with “Jagi,” I want to walk over to him and punch his face into the next country.

However, this is Kira’s choice and I have to respect that, no matter how much it kills me inside to do so.

I can see that it’s wearing Kai down as well. He’s been moody as hell and I’m sure he hasn’t been sleeping.

I’m starting to get worried about him. I don’t think that he’s accepted Kira’s feelings like I have, even though it’s still tough on me sometimes. I see him trying to avoid D.O. as much as he can and it bothers me that the situation has come to this.

We’re EXO. We are one, aren’t we? We’re bandmates. We’re supposed to be brothers. And yet, one woman has the power to rip apart three of our members.

Even now, I’m sitting in the living room and Kai is on the couch with me. D.O. comes into the room and sits down. The very next moment Kai stands up and walks out of the room.

I hear D.O. sigh and turn to see him hanging his head.

“Are you okay, D.O.?” I ask.

“I’m just,” He pauses. “Worried about Kai.”

“So, you’ve noticed,” I say pointedly.

“Of course, I have,” D.O. says contemptuously because of the implied insult.

“It might be better if you don’t talk to Kira around him,” I say.

“It’s not like I’m doing anything wrong,” He says defensively.

“Ani, but you’re rubbing it in his face that he can’t have what he wants,” I say. “He might be only a year younger than you in age but he’s much younger emotionally.”

D.O. stares at me for a moment as though I had somehow stumbled onto a secret. Then he shakes his head. “I don’t want to hurt him,” D.O. says hesitantly.

“Then give him a break,” I say while thinking give me a break too, jebal.

“I’ll think about what you said. Thanks, Chanie.” D.O. gets up from the couch and goes to his room.

Moments later, Kai comes back into the living room and sits on the couch again. His expression is murky, his skin looks a bit dry and he has dark circles under his eyes.

“You know, you’re making it pretty obvious,” I say in an offhand manner.

“What?” Kai asks.

“I’m just saying it’s pretty obvious what’s going on because of how you’re acting,” I say.

Kai just turns his head away but I can tell that he’s embarrassed.

“If you keep avoiding him, it’s only going to get worse,” I say.

“Avoiding who?” Kai says stubbornly.

“Come on, Kai. We’ve all seen it. You’ve been avoiding D.O. like he has some kind of toxic disease,” I say trying to make it at least a little funny, but failing.

“I’m just doing my work for EXO,” Kai says quietly his lips in a bit of a pout, obviously upset by the way the conversation is going.

“Work for EXO, my . If you were really working so hard for EXO you would put your feelings aside and get along with D.O. despite what was going on with him and Kira,” I say.

Kai’s head snaps up and he looks at me like he is really seeing me for the first time.

“Yeah, I’m not as dumb as I look, right?” I say smiling at him and raising my eyebrows. Returning my face to its serious expression, I continue,  “I know it’s hard for you. To be honest, it’s hard for me too. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve wanted to pound D.O. into dust the past couple days. But D.O. is like my brother and I could never really do that to him. And being with Kira makes him so happy. Kira… Well, Kira is my friend and I only want the best for her. If she wants to be with D.O., then, as a friend, I have to let them be together.”

“I’m not noble like you, Chanyeol,” Kai says quietly. “It doesn’t matter anyway. Even if they weren’t together, I still couldn’t make what I want happen. I’d just be grasping at impossible dreams and I hate myself for it.”

Kai abruptly stands up, goes to the door, grabs his coat and leaves the dorm.

I sit there for a while ponderi