Jaebum sat back on the couch, stunned from Yugyeom’s outburst. He thought back over the entire encounter and could not find a moment where he could have provoked Yugyeom to such uncharacteristic anger. He shook his head and sighed, interrupted by his phone ringing. He let the moment go and answered.

“Hello?”

“Hey JB this is Mark. Listen, Yugyeom isn’t home yet is he?”

“Yeah he is. And you should have seen it he just had a complete meltdown!”

“Oh no. This is not good. He’s seen it then. Oh no`”

“What? Seen what?”

“Are there any newspapers at home?”

“Yeah. How did you know? Yugyeom bought one. He threw a tantrum because I was reading the comics...why what’s going on.”

Mark sighed. “There’s...there’s a really bad article about him. Because of the awards show that aired a few days ago. Some bullcrap reporter wrote...some pretty terrible things. It even mentions that he might get kicked out of the group.”

Jaebum gasped and tried to say something but Mark cut him off, “I’ve already called the company and that’s not even an option. They are outraged and are doing everything they can to get that article revoked. We were hoping Yugyeom hadn’t seen it yet.”

Jaebum glanced in the direction of the hallway where Yugyeom had slammed his door about 10 minutes ago. “If he hadn’t he definitely has now. He took the newspaper from me a while ago and went to his room with it.”

“I’m on my way home with the boys but we won’t be back for another half hour. You have to do something.”

Jaebum sighed and rubbed his hand over his face, trying to think of anything he could do to make the situation better. “Okay. Did the article say anything else? Just that they didn’t like his performance and that he may be out of the group.”

There was silence on Mark’s end for a moment. “No...there was more. They said something about a…”weight gain”. And a whole bit on his singing….”bad” singing...and it suggested that we would lose fans because of it…”

Jaebum cursed under his breath. If he ever got his hands on that godforsaken reporter…

“Jaebum...you still there?”

“Yeah I’m here,” Jaebum growled, “I’m gonna go talk to Yugyeom. ANd then I’m gonna kill whoever wrote that article.”

“Jaebum-ah calm down. Yugyeom is already going to be very upset. You said he already had an outburst earlier. I think the best way to approach this is very, very gently. I know it’s not your thing but try to be loving. He’s just read that he’s hurt the group.”

Jaebum exhaled heavily, knowing that Mark was right. Sometimes he wondered where the older boy got his objective level-headedness. “Ok. You’re right. I’ll do my best. Don’t worry hyung. I am the leader.”

“I know you are.” Mark responded gently. “We’ll be home soon. Fighting.”

“Ok. Fighting.” Jaebum hung up his phone and put it back in his pocket. He took several deep breaths and focused his mind on Yugyeom instead of his anger. In the past, he had found that, as Mark advised, gentleness was the best way to deal with an upset Yugyeom. The boy got easily embarrassed and anything to forward would push him further into himself.

When Jaebum had calmed enough, he stood and walked to Yugyeom’s door. He was about to knock when he heard it. Yugyeom crying. His anger flared up immediately. He wasn’t just quietly crying, he was sobbing.

That is MY maknae and NOBODY makes him sound like that!

Jaebum gritted his teeth and fought every instinct within him to slam the door down as Yugyeom’s sounds of anguish filtered into the hallway. He forced breaths out of his mouth slowly and waited until his heart rate slowed until he tried the knob.

Locked. He was frustrated but not surprised. He lifted up his hand to the door and knocked his knuckles against the wood three times.

“Yugyeom?” he called. No change in the other boy’s sounds. He knocked three times, harder. “Yugyeom?” he repeated, louder, doing his best to keep the anger out of his voice.

He could hear the other boy react inside, a shift on the mattress, gasping breaths, which he assumed was Yugyeom trying to stop crying. His heart broke but he persisted.

“May I come in Yugyeom?” Jaebum asked, keeping his voice calm.

Several sniffles and gasping sobs came from the other side of the door, and then a croaky “No! Go away!”

“Yugyeom-ah, please let me in.” Jaebum persisted with the same tone as before.

“Leave me alone!” Yugyeom responded, quicker this time.

That was a small relief for Jaebum. He didn’t know if he would be able to keep his demeanor if he had to face Yugyeom completely broken down. He was definitely still crying, but seemed to have a handle on himself now.

“Please open the door.” Jaebum said, letting his fist flatten out against the door. There was a long moment where nothing could be heard but yugyeom’s sniffling and occasionally a whimper. The noises broke Jaebum’s heart but he did not leave the door. Just when he thought that it was hopeless and that the door would be locked forever, he heard the bed springs groan as weight lifted off of them. It was another long moment before he heard slow footsteps come towards the door. They stooped on the other side.

“Please.” Jaebum said, softer this time. He heard a sigh on the other side and finally, Yugyeom turned the lock.

When the door opened, Jaebum wanted nothing more than to rush through and envelop Yugyeom in his arms and somehow simultaneously find the name of the reporter in the newspaper so he could hunt and kill them. Mark’s words rung in his head “approach this very, very gently”. He slowly stepped into the room.

“What do you want.” Yugyeom practically snarled at him, glowering at the floor.

Jaebum swallowed and took a step closer. He realized that he had been so busy trying to remain calm that he hadn’t actually thought of what to say. “I just want to make sure you’re okay.” he managed.

Yugyeom scoffed, flicking his red, wet eyes up at Jaebum quickly. “Never better” he said, returning his gaze to the floor.

Jaebum felt his heart shatter with that one look. “None of it is true.” he whispered.

He watched Yugyeom struggle for his breath as a tear dripped off the bottom of his chin.

“Of course it’s true.” he said, and the malice directed at his hyung was absent from his voice. For some reason this hurt Jaebum even worse. Yugyeom’s lips trembled as he reached up to wipe his eyes with the back of his wrist. “I shouldn’t be in this group.” his voice shuddered.

“What are you talking about?” Jaebum said, forcing a small smile onto his face, “We could not be a group without you.”

Yugyeom shook his head, causing his hair to swish in a way that would be cute under normal circumstances. “You are all better off without me. I bring the group down. I’m the only weak link.”

Jaebum was finding it very hard to control himself. He was about to scream about how ridiculous that notion was when he heard Mark’s voice whisper gentle in his mind again.

“You are not.” he said, as softly as he could manage.

Yugyeom stared at the floor.

“It’s just a mean article. It is not true. Nothing about it is true, Yugyeom.” he continued, tenderly.

“It is true.” Yugyeom whispered. “I can’t sing well enough and I don’t look like an idol. I’m too fat no matter what I do. JYP is probably going to kick me out of the group. It’s all true.”

“JYP feels the same why I do. He knows about the article and he is angry about it just like I am. No one is kicking you out of the group.”

“Then...if he isn’t going to kick me out I should just leave. It’s not fair to make you guys work with someone like me. I will only hold you back. I’ll...I’ll leave.”

“Yugyeom stop.” Jaebum said, unable to control himself any longer. He walked up and took Yugyeom by both of the arms. He felt the boy tense up through his trembling.“There is nothing wrong with you. If you are out of the group then that’s it. There is no Got7 without you. Period.”

Yugyeom was trembling so hard in Jaebum’s grip that he thought the other boy would fall if he wasn’t holding him up. “I can’t do it. hyung.” he whispered, “I’m not good enough.”

Jaebum let go of one of Yugyeom’s arms to softly place his fingers under the boy’s quivering chin. “Look at me, Yugyeom.” He said, tilting the boy’s face up from the ground.

Yugyeom’s eyes were red and wet. Glossy lines were shimmering down his cheeks where tears still fell. His face was patched with red and his makeup from the day’s promotions was smeared. Jaebum took everything about the image in.

“I don’t see a single flaw.”

Yugyeom pressed his lips together as his brow creased at the unexpected compliment. He felt like the tears would never stop. How could Jaebum look at him in this condition and say that so confidently.

“You are perfect for Got7 exactly as you are. You are loved exactly as you are. You are so much more than good enough. Now are you going to listen to the leader who knows what is best for this group or some idiot reporter who writes the nastiest things he can think of to try and make money? There is nothing wrong with you, Kim Yugyeom.”

Yugyeom felt his barriers fall down at Jaebum’s word’s and he whimpered, turning his cheek into the hand that was holding his head up.

Jaebum didn’t think his heart could break any more but that did it. He his thumb over Yugyeom’s cheek and then pulled the boy’s head down onto his shoulder.

Yugyeom whimpered again and wrapped both of his arms around his leader’s middle making himself the smaller one despite the height difference. He buried his face into Jaebum’s neck and closed his eyes.

Jaebum wrapped his arms around the boy’s shoulders and rubbed a hand up and down his back. “I love you.” he whispered as the other boy cried into his neck. “I love you so much. I am so sorry you had to read those lies. I love you, baby.”

“I-I love you too, h..hyung” Yugyeom managed. His hold on Jaebum tightened as they heard they door burst open and the other members rushed in. Before the two could break their embrace the other five members piled on, joining in the hug and yelling words of love for yugyeom to hear.

“You’re beautiful, Gyeommie!” Bambam yelled at  the same time as Youngjae said “I want to look as handsome as you, Yugyeomie” which interrupted Jackson screaming “I WISH I COULD SING LIKE KIM YUGYEOM” which overlapped with Jinyoung’s “Don’t worry baby I’ve called the newspaper and that man got demoted.” which ran into Mark saying “We love you, Yugyeom.”

Yugyeom’s crying sobs turned into laughing sobs and he smiled through the tears. “What would I do without you guys?” he asked, muffled beneath the six bodies all trying to comfort him simultaneously.

“We’ve got you, baby.” Jaebum whispered in his ear as the other boys carried on with words of comfort. “We’ll never let you go.”

Yugyeom’s smile widened and he squeezed his leader tight before straightening up, causing the huddle to break up as the boys all detached themselves. He looked in each of their faces and didn’t see one hint of disappointment. He saw the people that he called family. “I love you guys too.” he said. “I never want to leave if you guys don’t want me to.”

“Never ever.” Jackson said with a wink. Even though the moment was serious, everyone started laughing at his pun and Yugyeom felt the last of the tears trickle down his face. He was with Got7 and he was right where he belonged.