Time flew by as if things only happened by the snap of fingers. The comeback starts; he had seen how Hakyeon acts so natural like before.

How he wakes the members up in the morning.

How he leads their practices.

How he checks the members' condition on and off cam; before and after the schedule.

How he portays his role as the leader in front of the camera.

How his actions were natural as if nothing happened between him and the members.

How he did broadcast without awkward humid.

How he become distant and silent again at the end of the day.

The younger members are getting used to it because they say Hakyeon still needs to heal completely but Taekwoon has never been familiar to this kind of Hakyeon because before, Hakyeon was always the one who approaches the other in cases like this. But now, how long has it been, a month? Still, Taekwoon didn't settle what's between them. He assumes one day, Hakyeon will go to him and tell him, just forget about it and they're good but nothing like that happened.

Hakyeon is avoiding him if they were left alone in the dorm but acts like everything is okay if the younger members are around. The two sides of him almost made Taekwoon insane. How he suddenly feels so warm if Hakyeon is taking care of him then the next seconds he felt dejected because Hakyeon moves around the dorm as if Taekwoon never existed at all. How it happened for almost a month and more that it breaks Taekwoon's heart little by little, piece by piece, slowly and painfully.

Another thing, his place being the lifelong friend is at risk seeing how Hakyeon's circle of friends in the industry grew bigger.

There's Jackson, the leader's got superly closed to him after their BigByung project. Jisoo and Wongeun from their Sassy Go Go drama. Wongeun even spends a special birthday celebration ‘slash’ vacation trip with the leader. His lipstick prince's friends. Taekwoon could only sigh heavily to that. How could he protect his special place in Hakyeon's life if they continue to be in this situation. ‘Aaargh!’ Taekwoon could only scream in his mind.

What's holding him back to try and make up to Hakyeon is a certain phone nickname...a work related caller id.

As if the world planned it out...

An unregistered number suddenly calls him.

“Hello?” greets Taekwoon. “Yes, I am.”

Taekwoon listened to all what the caller told him and when the moment the call ended, he almost screamed.

“Is it real?” he asks.

Smiles painting his lips. The dark clouds from the skies vanished, there are no even clouds. The sun shines so bright. The rainbow colors the clear blue heaven above outside the window.

~

They arrived at their respective hotel rooms and his room was the most awkward, should he say, 'their' room. Taekwoon and Hakyeon needs to share the room.

The room was silent only filled by the little noises from the blower and the movements of their hair and make-up artists and stylist and staff.

Taekwoon looked at his side and sees Hakyeon's eyes were closed. Maybe the leader was tired from the flight and scooping some sleep while preparing, or, the leader doesn't want to see him. That's not it, right? Sighs.

They perform, do onstage missions and have fun. When it's time to wrap up the whole joint concert, groups gathered around the stage. Sunbaes and hoobaes, the concert was successful.

“Where's hyung?” asks Sanghyuk.

Taekwoon looked around and indeed Hakyeon was not with them.

The members act cutesy and flirty with the fans while Taekwoon couldn't hide his slight worries.

‘Where did he go?’ he asks.

He kept looking around, finding a certain unique tan color from the sea of fair sticks until he finally spotted him...hugging someone.

‘Is that really Hakyeon?’ he asks again. ‘Who's that someone?’

He's sure he saw that man somewhere...and it snaps him that the man Hakyeon was hugging is one of the idols from lipstick prince.

Taekwoon watched them all along, not breaking eyesight to the leader. Until he saw Hakyeon broke the hug and Taekwoon could see that they now are bidding farewell.

Well, he's kinda jealous and a bit scared.

Jealous that he's been missing that hug yet Hakyeon has a free-hug booth there.

Scared that he's spot in Hakyeon's heart might be snatched away from him in front of his eyes.

But he remembered what the caller told him and gave him a firm hope that he's still what he is in the leader's life.

He saw Hakyeon is walking to his direction so he averted his gaze and continued waving to the galaxies of international fans who has always supported them fully and truly <3

Once Hakyeon had come back, Taekwoon didn't let the chnace, the perfect moment to pass by; he enclosed Hakyeon in between of his arms.

“Yah! What are you doing?”

“I just want to hug the person who called me his lifelong friend.”

Some idols from other groups are looking at them but Taekwoon ignored them; enjoying and cherishing the moment he's been waiting all this time.

How the seas of idols and fans fade into blur and the world spins like crazed.

Finally, Taekwoon was sure he won't lose a friend who has a big part from his life.

“What's happening in here?” asks Jaehwan, voice a little a sulky.

“Is this a group hug?” asks Sanghyuk, making fun of his two eldest hyungs.

“But why only the two of them?” asks Hongbin to Sanghyuk.

“Let's group huuuug!” yells Wonshik, joining in with his two hyungs.

Soon, the three remaining members joined in too and the members of VIXX was embraced in a group hug they did for the first time since forever, they didn't know but they don't care as long as they are with one another as whole.

World apart from them seems to fade to nothing.

“Yah, kids, I can't breathe!”

Once and for all, Taekwoon realized that the hug from Hakyeon, from the members is what kept him doing what he loves doing.

Heart flattered because of the warmness from the members, especially from the person who has always been the cheering machine for him.

Knowing that he has always been the lifelong friend in Hakyeon's life.

- Flashback -

“Hello?”

“Is this Taekwoon?”

“Yes, I am.”

“Hi, Taekwoon-ssi. This is Wongeun. Sorry if I'm just telling you this. I'm the one who changed the nicknames of the VIXX members in Hakyeon's phone because Hakyeon told me that he feels outcasted whenever he was around his group's members. So I thought if you guys found out that you were no longer how you thought you would be in Hakyeon's life, you guys will realize the real value of Hakyeon to each one of you.”

- End of flashback -

Even without the confession of the actor, Taekwoon still realized on his own what Hakyeon really meant for him. Because Hakyeon has always been the air Taekwoon needed in order to survive since the hard training years upto the harsh idol life. Since Hakyeon has always been doin that to him, now is the perfect time for Taekwoon to do the same thing or even more for Hakyeon, not because he feels somewhat in-favored to the leader's selfless kindness, no, but because Hakyeon deserves the love he's always been giving Taekwoon and the younger members.

---

A/N:

Early holiday greetings for everyone~