"Did you rest?" Hyuk whispered near Hakyeon's ear as they headed to the performing centre to have their makeup and outfit ready. Hakyeon nodded slightly.

"I had to pop a sleeping pill. I'm still feeling out of it now." Hyuk instantly placed his hand on his arm.

"Do you need me to assist you? Or if not, just rest more when we reach."

Hakyeon smiled. "I still can manage. Don't worry."

Deep inside, he felt like he's going to explode anytime soon. The nervousness increases at each time. He couldn't figure out why but maybe ruled out probably due to not been on stage for very long that made him feel like that.

But that doesn't seem to ease him off as it got worse as minutes passed. His hands couldn't stop trembling even he cupped them together, breathing in and out regularly.

He stood up.

"Where are you going hyung?" asked Hyuk. Ravi looked up, his eyes were on Hakyeon.

"Out. For a breather. Will be back soon."

He walked out after Jaehwan, who intended to go to the toilet. He was walking behind, his footsteps were slow yet steady. He remembered Wonshik's advice to take deep breaths everytime he feels panic coming.

"Wonshik-hyung been going around asking professionals for advices. I went with him once and I learnt a lot from the doctor. So, hyung. We are really here to help you, assure you that you're not alone in this. We are doing these for your wellbeing and because we care about you." he recalled Hyuk's words yesterday in his room.

He paused his tracks. He took a moment as he closed his eyes, inhaling a deep amount of air and let it out slowly, repeating it few times.

"Hyung." A familiar voice boomed behind him. He turned and saw an expressionless Hongbin stood with a bag in tow.

"Follow me. I need to talk to you."

"Hongbin-ah, I..."

Hongbin grabbed his arm as he dragged his hyung out to the staircase area.

Seeing the bag, Hakyeon seems to know what he's gonna say.

"Hongbin-ah, let me explain."

"You were such an irresponsible leader. Letting your member take the blame and you escape from it. What kind of hyung are you?" Hongbin's raising voice worsen Hakyeon's anxiety.

"Hongbin-ah, let me explain. I... I..."

"You were always like this right, hyung? Selfish, full of deceits. I don't know why they are so much closer to you now. You must have a hidden agenda in trying to win their favor back."

Hakyeon teared up. He doesn't expect Hongbin would think of him in such ways.

"You stole my opportunities, everyone favored you because they see your talents but not mine. Your presence really made me feel small. Why must I feel like this, knowing you are the one who helped me through?"

"I gave those to you, isn't it? I wouldn't want the opportunities to pass, so I gave them to you. I didn't mean to make you feel that way..."

"Didn't mean to? When all my roles were actually meant for you and you just simply rejected them and pass them to me? I was never the main choice."

"Bin-ah... I have my reasons."

"You just want to spite my inner wrath, Cha Hakyeon."

-----

"Half of the guys are not even here. Show's starting soon." Taekwoon remarked. Wonshik and Hyuk looked around and noticed Hakyeon's not back from his break.

"Where's Hongbin?" asked Wonshik.

"No idea. He was walking with Hakyeon hyung to somewhere. I bet they are having a talk."

Hyuk's eyes arrowed at Jaehwan. "What talk?"

"About his sponsored shirt. He knows the truth. You guys kept it from him." Jaehwan was nonchalant. Hyuk glanced at Wonshik with a worrying expression.

"Jaehwan-hyung! How could you let him!" shouted Hyuk. Taekwoon glanced at his dongsaengs.

"What are you guys blabbering about? Please, they are just having a talk. Hakyeon's at fault. So be it. Our performance is important."

"Hyung.. you.. you won't understand." Hyuk somewhat became restless. Wonshik stood up and dashed out of the room.

"Ya, where are you going?" Jaehwan held his arm, preventing from going out. Wonshik stared at his beloved hyung.

"If anything happened to Hakyeon hyung, I'll hate you on this. You just did a grave mistake on this, hyung. If anything happens to him, you'll regret it." Wonshik shoved his hand away as he finally made his way out, with Hyuk following behind him.

--------

"Thanks to you, hyung. I feel the detachment. No one pays attention to me and all they see is you. You are the talented one, the funny one. The one people can rely on easily. You are a source of envy."

Hakyeon's tears still wetting his cheeks. Then, he starting to clutch his chest, gasping for air. Everything seems blurry to him gradually. Hongbin was blabbering continuously, saying how unfair his situation was and blamed Hakyeon for everything.

Hakyeon managed to grabbed the the staircase railing as a support as he struggling in keeping himself properly breathed. 

"What now?" asked Hongbin as he sees Hakyeon sitting by the stairs, breathing through his mouth, gasping for each breath. His face was white and pale, even his mouth turned dry. Hakyeon felt his body shivers, his vision and speech were interrupted as his mind went into total blank mode.

"Hyung?" Hongbin realized that there's something might be wrong with Hakyeon as he's not responding to him. Hongbin threw the bag down as he rushed over to Hakyeon, holding both his hands.

"Hyung, hyung...what's wrong? Hyung."

Then, the door swung open. Hongbin looked up to see Wonshik and Hyuk.

"Ya, something's wrong with Hakyeon hyung." Wonshik and Hyuk rushed down the stairs. Hyuk attended to his hyung while Wonshik pulled Hongbin up and pushed him against the wall.

"What did you do hyung?" asked Wonshik. Hongbin was appalled with Wonshik's sudden aggressiveness. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"Cut the chase, Hongbin. Why are you so adamant about your freaking shirt? Let Hyuk settle it. He already said it!" Hongbin couldn't believe at what he just hear. "Wonshik-ah, he's the one who ruined my shirt and got told off by my sponsor. He made me compensate a huge amount of money just because of his stupid action and you say I'm being so adamant about it. Tell me Wonshik. Why are you so bent on siding with him?"

Hyuk tries to calm his hyung down, holding both his hands firmly and repeatedly asked him to look at him as he instructed the proper breathing technique to him. "Relax hyung." Feeling weak, Hakyeon rested his head on his shoulders, while his uneven breathing began to subside and regain its normality.

"Hyung is not well, Hongbin."

"He looks fine to me."

"Because you don't see it."

"I'm seeing it now. He's having breathing difficulty out of the sudden. He's been well all these while, who are you trying to kid, Wonshik?"

"Enough hyung! Hakyeon hyung is not well mentally." shouted Hyuk, which made Hakyeon awoke from his stupor. He lifted up his head, his eyes were unfocused as he looked around.

"Where am I?" Hyuk turned and looked at him. "I'm sorry for the shouting, hyung. You can rest more. Rest on my shoulder." That time, Hakyeon stared at Hyuk's face for quite long. Hyuk, who noticed his blank expression tries to get a response by smiling at him. "What's wrong hyung?"

"Who are you?"

Hyuk's smile eventually disappear while Hongbin and Wonshik froze as they exchanged confused glances.